PRIME MINISTER

Intelligence and Security Committee

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister whether the name of the Clerk of the Intelligence and Security Committee will be published in the next edition of the Civil Service Yearbook; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: The name will be published in the usual manner.

Intelligence Services: Publications

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what facilities were afforded to Gordon Thomas by or on behalf of  (a) the Security Service,  (b) the Secret Intelligence Service and  (c) others in the security and intelligence services in his research for his book, Inside British Intelligence; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  at what level, and in what circumstances, members of the security and intelligence services were authorised to give interviews or other assistance to Gordon Thomas in the preparation of his book, Inside British Intelligence; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: This is not an official publication.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Grand Prix

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions his Department has had with third parties on the proposed relocation of the British Grand Prix from Silverstone to Donington; what support he plans to offer for such a move; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: On 4 July 2008, Formula One Management signed a 10 year contract with Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd. (DVLL) to host the British Formula One Grand Prix at Donington from 2010. This was a commercial agreement between the parties concerned.
	Ministers continue to discuss the hosting of the British Grand Prix with various parties and I recently visited Donington to discuss progress with the owners.
	It is the Government's ongoing wish to see a British Grand Prix in this country and we continue to facilitate and support this where we can.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many full-time staff employed by  (a) his Department in London,  (b) historic royal palaces and  (c) the National Gallery earn less than £15,944 per annum.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are no full-time staff employed in DCMS who earn less than £15,944 per annum. We do not hold records centrally about pay for staff in the historic royal palaces or the National Gallery.

Departmental Pay

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff employed in London on work contracted out by his Department earn less than £7.45 per hour.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are 28 staff employed in London on work contracted out by the Department that earn less than £7.45 per hour.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Air Conditioning

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of his Department's buildings are equipped with air conditioning systems with output greater than 250kW; how many of these systems have been inspected under the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 since the Regulations came into force; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each inspection report.

Ann McKechin: Scotland Office buildings are not equipped with any air conditioning systems with greater than 250kW output.

Departmental Air Conditioning

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by his Department on carrying out inspections of air conditioning systems within departmental buildings in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.

Ann McKechin: £3,099 has been spent by the Scotland Office in carrying out inspections of air conditioning systems in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 for Dover House. The regulations do not apply to our Edinburgh office.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Bloody Sunday Tribunal of Inquiry

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent to date on administrative costs associated with the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

Shaun Woodward: The Northern Ireland Office budget is split into two cost areas—programme and administration. In relation to the Bloody Sunday inquiry, administration costs are the costs relating to the salaries and other associated costs of the civil servants staffing the inquiry, and various costs associated with the running of the inquiry's offices. I am advised that the Bloody Sunday inquiry has spent £11.5 million on such administration costs since its establishment to the end of March 2009. Programme costs, which relate more directly to the costs of the inquiry itself (e.g. IT infrastructure costs, legal fees, tribunal costs etc.) are not included in this figure.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Disabled Staff

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House of Commons Commission will make an estimate of the effect of the proposed transfer of hon. Members' staff to become direct employees of the House on its targets for the number of disabled people it employs.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons Commission has been asked by the House to make recommendations on the implementation of the proposal that staff who work for hon. Members should be employed by the House. In its consideration of this proposal, a number of aspects of employment law, including that relating to disability, will need to be taken into account.

Parliament: Internet

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2009,  Official Report, column 26W, on audio recordings, what progress has been made in setting up a history area of the Parliament website; whether any decision has been made on sound recordings planned for inclusion in that area; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: A new area of the Parliament website is due to be launched this summer which will focus on Parliament's heritage. This will replace and expand on the historical information that is currently available on the site and cover the building and its collections, the evolution of Parliament and key pieces of legislation that have transformed society. This area will also provide the opportunity to embed or link to a variety of different content including relevant audio files. Having run a successful pilot the web centre is planning to release a number of podcasts over the coming financial year. These recordings will cover, among other topics, the history, art and architecture of the Houses of Parliament.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Church of England: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what the value of  (a) securities available for lending,  (b) securities lent and  (c) securities lent to hedge funds by the Church Commissioners was in each of the last three years.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners commenced a securities lending programme for the first time in 2008. At the end of the year, £4.2 million of securities were lent to seven investment banks but none were on loan directly with hedge funds. There is an upper limit amounting to 10 per cent. of total securities that can be lent at any time.

Church of England: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what proportion of the Church Commissioners' listed securities were invested overseas in each of the last three years.

Stuart Bell: At the end of 2006 the Commissioners' exposure to overseas equities stood at 36 per cent. of total equities exposure. At the end of 2007 the percentage was 37 per cent. and at the end of 2008 it had grown to about 53 per cent. (fully audited figures will be published later this week).

Church of England: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how much of the Church Commissioners' assets were held in real estate in  (a) the UK and  (b) overseas in each of the last three years.

Stuart Bell: The figures requested by the hon. Gentleman are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Total real estate  Overseas real estate  UK real estate 
			 2005 1,415.6 10.1 1,405.5 
			 2006 1,692.8 32.8 1,660 
			 2007 1,724.6 110.2 1,614.4 
		
	
	2008 figures will be published later this week.

Church of England: Vehicles

Nick Gibb: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners how many vehicles the Church Commissioners  (a) own and  (b) operate.

Stuart Bell: The Commissioners operate 101 vehicles, one of which they own (the rest being held under a leasing agreement).

TRANSPORT

Aviation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the latest unconstrained demand forecast for UK air travel in 2030 is taking account of  (a) the errata published on 17 March 2009 to the January 2009 UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts and  (b) the revised gross domestic product forecasts contained in the 2009 Budget Report.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport's latest forecasts of unconstrained demand in the UK in 2030 are given in table 2.10, page 44 of "UK Air Passenger Demand and CO2 Forecasts" published in January 2009. The central estimate is 465 million passengers per annum (mppa). Table 2.10 of the report also reports the Department's forecasts of unconstrained demand under a range of sensitivity tests, including one which reflects the GDP forecasts announced at the time of the 2008 pre-Budget report (referred to as 'PBR Nov 2008 GDP forecast').
	The Department published the errata on 17 March 2009 following the discovery of an input error to the 'PBR Nov 2008 GDP forecast' sensitivity test. The corrected forecast of UK unconstrained demand in 2030 for this sensitivity test given in the errata is 435 mppa (revised down from 445 mppa, given in the published report). The central case forecast and other sensitivity tests were not affected by the errata.
	The Department has not yet updated its forecasts to reflect the 2009 Budget report. It aims to publish updated forecasts when there is a policy need, as it did recently alongside the announcement of policy decisions on the future development of Heathrow airport.

Aviation: Greater London

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many flights there were over London airspace in each year since 1997; and how many there are projected to be in  (a) 2010,  (b) 2020,  (c) 2030 and  (d) 2040.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not hold this information.
	Airspace management in the UK is an operational matter for the air traffic control provider, NATS. The following link to the NATS website provides an overview of traffic volumes handled by NATS from their various centres and flights handled at major UK airports:
	http://www.nats.co.uk/text/47/operational_and_safety.html
	Further information may be obtained by contacting NATS directly:
	External Communications Department, 4000 Parkway, Whiteley, Fareham, Hants, P015 7FL.

Driving Offences: Fines

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fines have been issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for failure to comply with the provisions of section 59 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 in each year since the Act came into force.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of out of court settlements (OCS) issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency for failure to comply with the provisions of section 59 of the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1999-2000 5,100 
			 2000-01 27,222 
			 2001-02 48,534 
			 2002-03 85,020 
			 2003-04 79,363 
			 2004-05 59,216 
			 2005-06 52,640 
			 2006-07 42,078 
			 2007-08 36,794 
			 2008-09 132,137

Motor Vehicles: Fuels

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of cars in the UK were  (a) diesel,  (b) unleaded petrol,  (c) hybrid,  (d) electric and  (e) other in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers (in thousands) and percentages of cars of different propulsion types licensed in Great Britain in each year since 1997 were as follows:
	
		
			  Thousand/percentage 
			   Diesel  Petrol  Hybrid electric  Electric  Other 
			  No. % No. % No. % No. % No. % 
			 1997 2,441 11 20,385 89 0 0 — — 6 — 
			 1998 2,693 12 20,591 88 0 0 — — 10 — 
			 1999 2,930 12 21,031 88 0 0 — — 14 — 
			 2000 3,153 13 21,233 87 — — — — 20 — 
			 2001 3,460 14 21,641 86 1 — — — 24 — 
			 2002 3,912 15 21,839 85 1 — — — 29 — 
			 2003 4,400 17 21,805 83 1 — — — 34 — 
			 2004 5,011 19 21,977 81 3 — — — 38 — 
			 2005 5,596 20 21,876 79 8 — — — 40 — 
			 2006 6,135 22 21,635 78 17 — — — 43 — 
			 2007 6,716 24 21,432 76 32 — 1 — 46 — 
			 2008 7,227 25 21,064 74 47 — 1 — 51 — 
			 '—' is given where the value is negligible (less than half the final digit shown). 
		
	
	The data presented above relate to the position at the 31 December each year.
	The Department for Transport does not hold statistics regarding vehicle registrations in Northern Ireland.

Motor Vehicles: Lighting

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what timetable he has set for publication of the responses to his Department's consultation on amendments to the vehicle lighting and construction regulations;
	(2)  if he will bring forward proposals to amend road vehicle lighting regulations to require conspicuity markings on all heavy goods vehicles registered from 10 October 2009.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We plan to publish the results of the consultation by the summer, together with the amendments to the lighting regulations.
	These amendments will require new heavy goods vehicles and their trailers first used from 10 October 2009 to be fitted with conspicuity markings.
	This date coincides with the international agreements contained in UN-ECE Regulation 48 on vehicle lighting. Bringing forward the implementation date would contravene this regulation.

Ports: EU Action

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on proposals for a common EU maritime policy on port taxes.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None.

Railways: Fares

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to prevent train operating companies raising the cost of unregulated fares further during 2009.

Paul Clark: Unregulated fares are a commercial matter for train operators who are free to set them on a commercial basis. Train operators face strong competition from the private car, coaches and airlines and will set fares to compete: it is not in their interest to price people off the railway as this would reduce their revenue.

Railways: Fares

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with  (a) National Express East Coast,  (b) First Great Western,  (c) East Midlands Trains,  (d) First Capital Connect and  (e) CrossCountry on plans to raise the cost of unregulated fares.

Paul Clark: Unregulated fares are a commercial matter for train operators who are free to set them on a commercial basis. Department for Transport officials hold regular meetings with train operators, during which a wide range of topics are discussed.

Railways: Franchises

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria are used to determine the minimum service provisions of train operating companies' franchise agreements; and what processes there are for consultation with passengers on any changes in these provisions.

Paul Clark: The service provisions within franchise agreements are consulted upon by the Department for Transport as part of the franchise reletting process. Such consultations usually involve all relevant local authorities, passenger transport executives (PTE's) and other major stakeholders, user groups and user representatives such as Passenger Focus.
	The minimum level of service—as described within the service level commitment detailed within the franchise agreement—is determined by a combination of:
	Deliverability (i.e. can it be timetabled alongside all other services);
	Cost;
	Demand and Revenues;
	Overall levels of service.
	Train operators are required to consult stakeholders where they propose changes to these minimum service levels, and the Department will consider these responses alongside other evidence from operators in deciding whether such changes are appropriate.

Railways: Torbay

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the level of overall demand for direct train services between Torbay and London.

Paul Clark: Estimates of the overall demand for direct train services are based on data on recent flows between Torbay and London. Both South West Trains and First Great Western operate London-Torbay services from Waterloo and Paddington respectively. This information belongs to the train operating company and queries should be addressed to the companies concerned at:
	First Great Western
	Milford House
	Swindon
	SN11HL
	South West Trains
	Customer Service Centre
	Overline House
	Blechynden Terrace
	Southampton
	S015 1GW

Roads: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have occurred in each year involving powered two-wheel vehicles causing  (a) death,  (b) serious injury and  (c) other injury in each (i) county and (ii) unitary council area in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Tables showing the number of  (a) fatal,  (b) serious and  (c) slight reported personal injury road accidents involving at least one motorcycle in each county and local authority area in each year since 1997 have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has paid back to the European Union following rulings in relation to breaches by the UK of requirements under the Common Agricultural Policy in each year since 1997.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 7 May 2009
	The Rural Payments Agency has had the following financial corrections applied by the European Commission over the past five financial years:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 140.475 
			 2007-08 22.154 
			 2006-07 3.049 
			 2005-06 22.608 
			 2004-05 12.170 
		
	
	Payments are deducted from subsequent claim reimbursements, two months after the correction decision is formally published, but with the exception of late payment penalties which are deducted at the time of the claim being submitted. In this case the correction decision is retrospective. The high figure in 2008-09 includes such a retrospective decision for failure to meet payment deadlines in regard to the Single Payment Scheme 2005.
	Data prior to the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme (e.g. prior to 2004) could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Animal Welfare

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the National Farmers Union on action to be taken following the consultation on Responsibility and Cost Sharing.

Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State and I meet regularly with representatives of the National Farmers Union to discuss a wide range of agricultural and farming issues including responsibility and cost sharing for animal health.

Bees

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of  (a) honey and  (b) bumble bees as a percentage of their total population in the next five years;
	(2)  what his most recent estimate is of the cost to agriculture in England of the likely change in the numbers of  (a) honey bees and  (b) bumble bees in the next 10 years.

Jane Kennedy: No such estimates have been made yet. However, recent evidence considering the decline in species richness of both bumblebees and solitary bees suggests a significant decrease in the number of bee species for which data was available in England. In recognition of this, the Secretary of State recently announced additional funding of £4.3 million for bee health which includes supporting the implementation of the initial phase of a 10 year plan to improve and protect the health of honey bees in England and Wales. This additional funding will allow DEFRA to contribute £0.5 million per annum over five years to a wider research programme on pollinator decline which was announced on 21 April.

Bees

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take in the next two years to protect the bee population in England.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA has allocated new resources for the bee health programme to fund the implementation of the 'Healthy Bees' plan. On top of its current £1.3 million per annum, an additional £2.3 million will be provided to the National Bee Unit (NBU) (part of the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA)) over the next two years to implement the first stage of the plan.
	This involves producing a more accurate national picture of the numbers and distribution of beekeepers, and the health status of their colonies. Our improved understanding of the national position will allow the development of a new robust disease control and surveillance programme for implementation from 2011 onwards. In addition, FERA is bidding for funding under the EU Framework Programme 7, to establish a consortium of researchers who will investigate the main factors leading to colony losses.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to  (a) prevent and  (b) monitor the import and spread of bluetongue disease in summer 2009.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) As of 3 November 2008, all of Great Britain became a single confluent protection zone for Bluetongue serotype 8 (BTV-8). Animals can be moved freely within this protection zone, and to and from other BTV-8 protection zones in Europe provided that they meet the generic import/export requirements and are accompanied by an Export Health Certificate which has been signed by an official veterinarian.
	Movements of susceptible animals from Protection Zones for different serotypes are subject to the restrictions set out in Annex III of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1266/2007 (as amended).
	 (b) DEFRA has a number of scanning and targeted surveillance measures in place to monitor Bluetongue in the UK as detailed in the UK-wide Bluetongue Control Strategy.
	With specific regard to imports, DEFRA conducts post-import tests on all susceptible animals imported from continental Europe for all Bluetongue serotypes. From 1 April 2009, this was increased to double testing to ensure that disease is picked up in both its early and late stages. DEFRA also urges industry to consider the risks and check the health and vaccination status of animals when sourcing any animals, from within the UK or abroad.
	Spread of BTV-8 is additionally controlled through the use of vaccine. DEFRA underwrote 28 million doses of BTV-8 vaccine in 2008, enough for all susceptible animals in England. 12 million of these doses formed the supply at the start of 2009. This along with free market vaccine supplies from the three manufacturers authorised to market vaccine in the UK, Intervet, Merial and Fort Dodge should meet the demand for BTV-8 vaccine in 2009.

British Overseas Territories: Nature Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been distributed in grants to the British Overseas Territories from the Darwin Initiative scheme since 2006.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Since the Darwin Initiative was launched in 1992, a total of just over £2 million of its funding has been awarded to projects in the UK Overseas Territories. £494,124 of this figure has been invested since 2006, which reflects the Darwin Initiative's increasing interest in biodiversity conservation in these important parts of the world.

Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dogs in England and Wales have been placed on the register of exempt dogs under section 4A and section 4B procedures under the Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Act 1997 in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: We do not record under which section of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 (as amended 1997) prohibited types of dogs are added to the Index of Exempted Dogs.
	
		
			   Number of dogs added to index  England  Scotland  Wales 
			 1997 9 9 0 0 
			 1998 36 36 0 0 
			 1999 26 26 0 0 
			 2000 15 15 0 0 
			 2001 4 4 0 0 
			 2002 7 7 0 0 
			 2003 0 0 0 0 
			 2004 6 5 0 1 
			 2005 1 0 0 1 
			 2006 6 6 0 0 
			 2007 185 183 0 2 
			 2008 331 320 3 8 
			 2009 120 116 0 4 
			  Note: Data for 2009 can be considered as to end of April.  Source:  Index of Exempted Dogs.

Departmental Assets

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when his Department last reviewed its assets and land and property holdings with a view to identifying and disposing of surpluses.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Departmental Asset Management Strategy 2008-09 to 2010-11 published on our website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/finance/ams/asset-management-strategy.pdf
	sets out the management approach to wider assets, including identification and disposal.
	The Department has not commissioned an independent property review in recent years. However, its estates team, working in conjunction with retained property consultants, keeps its land and property assets under constant review, working with business and policy areas, to identify and seek the disposal of surplus property assets.

Departmental ICT

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to address the effect on levels of carbon dioxide emissions from his Department of its ICT purchases since the publication of the Greening Government ICT Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Since the publication of the Greening Government Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy, the Department has commissioned a Green ICT Feasibility Study by IBM to establish a Roadmap for the core Department and its Executive Agencies to not only meet the 2012 target for carbon neutrality for ICT in use across its estate, but also to include its out-sourced IT estate; primarily the appropriate portions of two large IBM data centres that support the provision of our IT services.
	For core DEFRA and those agencies taking all their IT services from IBM (some 4,500 staff), IBM currently uses a catalogue of assets that conform with the Quick Wins criteria set out in the Government's Green IT strategy for laptops, desktops and monitors. 96 per cent. of the current deployed IBM desktop and laptop assets are compliant with the Quick Wins criteria.
	10 months after the launch of the Greening Government ICT Strategy DEFRA has already delivered eight of the original 18 Chief Information Officer top tips set out in the HMG Greening ICT Strategy and submitted an initial draft Roadmap for addressing the remaining 10 tips, based on interim findings from the Feasibility Study. The top tips and Strategy can be viewed at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/greening_ government_ict.aspx

Departmental Public Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 826-7W, on the economic situation, what expenditure under what budgetary heading his Department incurred in relation to its seminar with delivery bodies held in November 2008.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The seminar with DEFRA delivery bodies on 10 November 2008 was held at the offices of WRAP in Banbury. The only costs to DEFRA were the time and rail travel of seven departmental representatives. Attendees from the other delivery bodies would have incurred similar costs.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department held discussions with HM Treasury before the recent decision to make reductions in his Department's budget.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA's contribution to the Government's £5 billion value for money savings in 2010-11 was agreed with the Treasury based upon what we believe is deliverable through the Operational Efficiency Programme and other efficiency measures.

Farmers: Income

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely effects on the income of hill farmers of European Commission proposals to modify the criteria which define less favoured areas; if he will make it his policy to seek amendment of those proposals to ensure that the income of hill farmers is not reduced by modification of those criteria; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The European Commission's proposal for new criteria to identify less favoured areas (LFA) will not impact on current upland policies in England. The current English LFA scheme—the hill farm allowance (HFA)—is being replaced with an agri-environment scheme, uplands entry level stewardship (Uplands ELS). Eligibility for Uplands ELS, as well as the make-up of the single payment scheme regions, is determined by domestic classifications, principally severely disadvantaged areas (SDA), rather than the LFA classification, so would not be directly affected by the Commission's proposals, which are unlikely to be implemented in the current rural development programming period.
	Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have LFA support schemes—the less favoured area support scheme (LFASS), the Tyr Mynydd scheme, and the less favoured areas compensatory allowance scheme (LFACA) respectively. Any redesignation of the LFA would impact on the number of farmers eligible for LFA support therefore, and we are liaising accordingly with the devolved administrations on this.
	We are continuing to work with the Commission and other member states on the proposals outlined by the Commission.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his policy is on the use of kitemarked products for the purposes of  (a) flood defences and  (b) household (i) repairs after flooding and (ii) flood resilience.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency is the lead delivery body for Government flood risk management policy. It always specifies materials for its flood defences that meet the relevant British and European standards for quality.
	The Environment Agency policy on temporary defences states that only suitably accredited temporary defences such as BSI Kitemark or similarly accredited products should be used.
	The Environment Agency is developing a policy on property protection products in addition to existing policies on demountable and temporary flood protection products. It encourages the use of quality products for the reduction of flood risk and actively supports the use of the BSI Kitemark scheme through sponsorship of publicly available specification (PAS) 1188.
	The Environment Agency is working with representatives of flood product manufacturers, the Flood Protection Association, the Association of British Insurers, insurance companies, DEFRA and HR Wallingford to develop PAS 1188 flood protection products.
	For repairs after flooding, the Government encourage the use of materials that meet the appropriate British Standards and codes of practice and recommends that properties are made resilient to future floods. DEFRA is working with the Association of British Insurers to improve the development of flood resilience when making repairs after flooding.

Food: Waste Disposal

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his latest estimate is of the amount of food waste not sent to landfill in the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: DEFRA does not hold the information requested.

Swans: Testing

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authority officers have authority to authorise isotope blood tests of swans.

Jane Kennedy: Local authority officers do not authorise the isotope blood testing of swans.

Swans: Testing

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many isotope blood tests of swans have been authorised in each of the last 12 years; and where the swans tested were treated.

Jane Kennedy: We are not aware of any isotope blood tests that have been performed on swans in the last 12 years.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Building Regulations

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of likely levels of compliance with the requirements of  (a) part L and  (b) part F of the Building Regulations following their revision.

Iain Wright: The Department is presently engaged in a joint project with the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (EEPfH) looking at levels of compliance for new homes with the requirements of Part L (2006) of the Building Regulations. The first part of this study has been published on the EEPfH website at:
	http://www.eeph.org.uk/uploads/documents/partnership/EEPHCLG%20Part%20L1A%20Compliance%20Project%20-% 20Pilot%20Study%20Report%20v1.41.pdf
	The second part of the study will be published shortly.
	The Department is also currently evaluating Part F to help inform its proposed revision alongside Part L in 2010.

Building Regulations

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of building control officers with the function of overseeing implementation of the Building Regulations.

Iain Wright: All local authority building control officers in England and Wales are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the building regulations in their respective authorities. All approved inspectors are responsible for the implementation of the building regulations in England and Wales, but approved inspectors have no enforcement responsibilities.
	A recent independent survey report commissioned by this Department from the Building Control Alliance (BCA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), covering building control officers in England and Wales, found that in 2006-07 in the 201 local authorities that sent in a return there was a total of 2,609 employees and in the 22 approved inspector Building Control bodies that sent in a return there was a total of 1,812 employees. A full copy of the survey report can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningand building/surveybuildingcontrolrpt

Building Regulations

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the  (a) costs and  (b) benefits of changing Building Regulations to introduce photoluminescent markings as a safety precaution in public spaces.

Iain Wright: We have made no assessment of the costs or benefits of changing Building Regulations to introduce requirements for photoluminescent markings in public spaces.

Community Relations: Religion

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has to mark inter faith week; and if she will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Department announced on 24 March that inter faith week will take place from 15 to 21 November across England and possibly Wales. It was proposed to Government by the Inter Faith Network for the UK (the member bodies of which include the Churches and other major faith communities) in 2008 as part of the consultation for the Government's inter faith strategy "Face to Face and Side by Side: A Framework for Partnership in our Multi Faith Society."
	We are keen to see local faith groups and communities around the country reaching out to each other to build stronger bonds of understanding and co-operation. Places of worship, inter faith bodies, schools and colleges, local authorities and other public agencies will be holding their own local events. Activities will also aim to increase public awareness of the various faith communities of the UK, focusing on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and wider society. Local, regional and national inter faith initiatives will be able to raise their profile. We hope the week will also increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.
	The Department is facilitating the week in partnership with the Inter Faith Network and in consultation with the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Local Government Association and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. We are liaising with the relevant public agencies, helping facilitate publicity and developing written materials. We will also organise a launch event in the preceding week.

Council Housing: Rents

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) of 25 March 2009,  Official Report, column 470W, on council housing: rents, if she will place in the Library a copy of the consultation document.

Iain Wright: A copy of the final housing revenue account subsidy Amending Determination for 2009-10 will be placed in the Library of the House when it is issued. We aim to issue this document soon.

Council Tax

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what recent discussions she has had with leaders of local authorities on levels of council tax;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with local authority chief executives on levels of council tax.

John Healey: Ministers from Communities and Local Government regularly meet with representatives from local authorities at which various issues may be raised.

Derelict Land: Gardens

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has commissioned on the  (a) level of infill development in residential communities and  (b) loss of garden space as a result of new residential development.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 1503-5W.

Empty Property

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to assist local authorities in returning derelict residential properties to occupancy.

Iain Wright: We work closely with the independent Empty Homes Agency to encourage local authorities to tackle empty homes in their areas. Through the Housing Act 2004, we have introduced new powers to allow local authorities to take over the management of private sector empty homes (empty dwelling management orders) where a voluntary approach is not successful. We are supporting the Empty Homes Agency's new guidance on EDMOs, which was launched on 10 March. The guidance is internet-based and interactive and takes local authorities through the EDMO process step by step. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing provided a foreword for the guidance.
	I hosted an Empty Homes seminar for a number of local authorities on 23 April to provide an opportunity to discuss the obstacles facing authorities in dealing with empty homes, share examples of best practice and encourage them to take action to tackle empty homes in their area.

Empty Property: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of residential properties which have become vacant and derelict in West Lancashire constituency in the last  (a) six months,  (b) 12 months and  (c) five years.

Iain Wright: Information is not held centrally on when dwellings become vacant, nor on dereliction. However, the following table shows the number of vacant dwellings as at 6 October 2008. Figures are not available at constituency level for West Lancashire. Figures are available at local authority level for Lancashire as a whole.
	
		
			  Local authority  Number of short-term empty dwellings (empty for less than six months)  Number of long-term empty dwellings  (empty for more than six months)  Total number of empty dwellings 
			 Burnley 1,782 1,427 3,209 
			 Chorley 845 681 1,526 
			 Fylde 1,098 765 1,863 
			 Hyndburn 1,242 1,246 2,488 
			 Lancaster 1,463 1,030 2,493 
			 Pendle 806 2,196 3,002 
			 Preston 1,418 1,073 2,491 
			 Ribble Valley 473 272 745 
			 Rossendale 841 607 1,448 
			 South Ribble 918 440 1,358 
			 West Lancashire 683 730 1,413 
			 Wyre 1,062 754 1,816 
			 Lancashire 12,631 11,221 23,852 
			  Source: Council Taxbase and Council Taxbase Supplementary (CTB1 and CTB1S) returns from local authorities.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many applications her Department has received from local authorities for permission to transfer housing revenue account stock into the general fund under section 19(2) of the Housing Act 1985 in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The information is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004-05 9 
			 2005-06 10 
			 2006-07 3 
			 2007-08 5 
			 2008-09 1 
			 Total 28

Housing: Construction

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of self-build properties constructed in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: This information is not held centrally.

Housing: Floods

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of her Department's expenditure in the last 12 months on rehousing people who lost their homes as a result of flooding.

John Healey: The Department has provided, since 1 May 2008, approximately £32.6 million to local authorities affected by the summer 2007 floods and approximately £1.3 million to local authorities affected by subsequent flooding, to support them in helping householders, businesses and communities get back to normal.
	This funding is part of approximately of £69.2 million provided by the Department and £136 million by central Government as a whole to support the recovery effort from the summer 2007 floods.

Housing: Merseyside

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the new houses completed in  (a) Merseyside and  (b) Crosby constituency between 2003 and 2009 were vacant at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The council tax base and council taxbase supplementary (CTB1 and CTB1S) return, reported by local authorities to CLG, includes the total number of long-term and short-term vacancies in a local authority area.
	The table gives the total number of vacant dwellings in Merseyside and its local authorities at 6 October 2008, the latest date for which figures are available. The number of vacant dwellings is not available at constituency level.
	
		
			  County/local authority  Number of long-term empty dwellings (empty for more than six months)  Total number of empty dwellings 
			 Merseyside 16,011 23,811 
			 Knowsley 1,499 2,615 
			 Liverpool 7,571 8,761 
			 Sefton 2,650 3,561 
			 St. Helens 1,079 2,592 
			 Wirral 3,212 6,282 
			  Source: Council Taxbase and Council Taxbase Supplementary (CTB1 and CTB1S) returns from local authorities. 
		
	
	Those dwellings vacant for less than six months are more likely to be empty for a short period following a sale before the new owner occupies it, where the property needs work to be carried out before it can be occupied, or where the property is in probate and are seen as 'transactional' vacant dwellings and are thus a characteristic of the housing market.
	It is therefore sometimes more appropriate to look at long-term vacancies rather than the total number of vacant dwellings.

Housing: Planning Permission

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has provided to planning authorities on the definition of the term eaves used in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted) Development Order 1995, as amended.

Iain Wright: The Government have not provided a definition of eaves in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted) Development Order, 1995, nor have they issued guidance on a definition to local planning authorities. Interpretation of the order is a matter for local authorities and ultimately a matter for the courts.

Housing: Sales

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what proportion of first-time buyers purchased a home at a price under £250,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The Department holds data on completed mortgages used for house purchase via the Regulated Mortgage Survey (RMS) which are supplied by the Council of Mortgage Lenders. The RMS covers about 60 per cent. of the UK mortgage market and includes details on whether the buyer was a first-time buyer and the purchase price of the property.
	Using the RMS we estimate that 89 per cent. of first- time buyers buying with a mortgage purchased their property for under £250,000 in the UK in 2008. Using Council of Mortgage Lenders data on total numbers of first-time buyers buying with a mortgage in the UK for 2008 we estimate that this amounts to around 172,800 first-time buyers.

Housing: Standards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the Decent Homes scheme has been funded through the Private Finance Initiative.

Iain Wright: £4.6 billion in PFI credits has been allocated to the Housing PFI Programme. Around £2.2 billion of this total figure has been allocated to schemes that will help local authorities meet the Decent Homes standard. Of this, £1.1 billion accounts for schemes which are now in construction and/or operational.

Housing: Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made in the methodology used to compile the English House Condition Survey in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: The English House Condition Survey (EHCS) was run every five years from 1971 until 2001 but moved to a continuous survey from 2002. From 2008 the survey merged with the Survey of English Housing to form the English Housing Survey (EHS) which is also run on a continuous basis.
	The basic EHCS survey methodology remained unchanged from 1997. A smaller 8,000 annual clustered sample was introduced in 2002 (compared to a 17,000 un-clustered sample used for the five yearly survey) to reduce fieldwork costs. Minor changes have been made each year to the survey content and reporting to reflect the changing information needs of government. From 2006 assessments were collected under the Housing Health and Safety Rating system (which replaced the Fitness Standard as the statutory tool for enforcing minimum standards).
	Under the EHS interviews are now conducted with 17,000 households a year. A surveyor subsequently conducts an inspection of 8,000 of these homes using a new automated method of data collection to further reduce costs and improve data quality.
	The EHCS/EHS continue to provide Government with an essential source of information on the changing condition and energy performance of the housing stock. Further information about the EHCS, including annual methodological reports, can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/ehcs

Local Government Services: Fees and Charges

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local authorities have to charge for building control services in relation to small household extensions.

Iain Wright: Local authorities are authorised by 'The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 1998' to fix their own charges in a scheme for carrying out their main building control functions with the aim of fully recovering their costs. The charges for building work related to small household extensions should be fixed with reference to the floor area of the proposed extension.
	The Department is currently carrying out a consultation exercise seeking views on a number of proposed changes to the charging regime. The consultation paper can be found on our website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningand building/lachargingregimeconsult

National Brownfield Forum

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each meeting of the National Brownfield Forum; and what the membership of the forum is.

Iain Wright: The role of the forum was set out in the Government's Response to (then) English Partnerships' Recommendations on the National Brownfield Strategy, and referred to the aim of "promoting a more cohesive and inclusive approach to policy development".
	The National Brownfield Forum held its first meeting in February 2009, and further meetings will be held quarterly. The meetings are held in confidence, and relate to the formulation and development of Government policy.
	Communities and Local Government will be publishing summaries of the forum meetings on its website as a matter of course in the near future.
	Membership of the forum is composed, currently, of representatives of the following organisations:
	AGS—Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists
	CIEH—Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
	CLAIRE—Contaminated Land Applications in Real Environments
	DCLG—Department for Communities and Local Government
	DEFRA—Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	EA—Environment Agency
	EIC—Environmental Industries Commission
	EPUK—Environmental Protection UK
	FSA—Food Standards Agency
	HBF—House Builders Federation
	HCA—Homes and Communities Agency
	HPA—Health Protection Agency
	LACORS—Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services
	LRT—Land Restoration Trust
	SAGTA—Soil and Groundwater Technology Association
	SILC—Specialist in Land Condition.

Planning: Public Consultation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many consultations on planning policy her Department has issued since May 2005.

Iain Wright: Since 1 May 2005 we have launched 11 consultations on planning policy. This excludes consultation on specific procedural and legislative changes and proposed advice documents.

Property Development

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has provided to local authorities on whether under the terms of the General Permitted Development Order the measurement of the extended part of the dwelling house beyond the original dwelling house is taken from wall to wall or roof to roof.

Iain Wright: The Government have not specified in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted) Development Order, 1995, as amended, whether the measurement of the extended part of the dwelling house beyond the original dwelling house should be taken from wall-to-wall or roof-to-roof. Nor have they issued guidance on this issue to local planning authorities. Interpretation of the order is a matter for local authorities and ultimately for the courts.

Property Development: Floods

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2009,  Official Report, column 147, if she will place in the Library a copy of the recent reassessment of protection against flood risk.

Iain Wright: The Environment Agency's Thames Estuary 2100 Consultation document sets out a tidal flood management plan for the London and the Thames estuary through to the end of the century. The consultation closes at the end of June and the document is available on the Environment Agency website:
	http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/104695.aspx

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much gross revenue the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre raised from bookings made by Government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in 2008.

Iain Wright: The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre generated £2,927,941 gross revenue from bookings made by Government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in 2008.

Recreation Spaces

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1279W, on departmental procurement, whether the green spaces database holds information on gardens.

Iain Wright: The green spaces database holds information on English gardens for 2005.

Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average length of tenure of  (a) registered social landlord and  (b) local authority tenant was in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 7 May 2009,  Official Report, column 399W.

Repossession Orders

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 29 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1382W, on repossession orders, when she expects her Department to be in possession of the data for 2008-09.

Iain Wright: The continuous recording of lettings (CORE) for 2008-09 is collected on behalf of Communities and Local Government by the Centre for Housing Research at the University of St Andrews. Delivery of final datasets to the Department is expected in August.

Social Rented Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many registered social landlord properties were sold to  (a) tenants and  (b) non-tenants in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of registered social landlord properties sold from 2003-04 to 2007-08 in England, according to whether they were sold to tenants or non-tenants.
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 To tenants 14,920 9,210 6,910 5,450 3,850 
			 To non-tenants 6,170 11,000 16,060 13,470 17,760 
			 Total 21,090 20,210 22,970 18,920 21,610 
			  Source:  Homes and Communities Agency investment management system (IMS), and regulatory and statistical returns (RSR) to the Tenant Services Authority (TSA). 
		
	
	Sales to tenants include sales through Right to Buy, Right to Acquire, Voluntary Purchase Grant, and Social HomeBuy. Sales to non-tenants include sales through Open Market HomeBuy and New Build HomeBuy. We have treated sales to tenants as where the tenant is currently occupying the property they are purchasing.

Social Rented Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department and its agencies have provided to local authorities on conditions of tenancy applicable to social tenants running businesses from their homes.

Iain Wright: I am not aware that the Department have provided any such guidance.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for underage drinking there were in Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. It is not possible to identify the number of arrests made for underage drinking from the data on arrests reported to the Home Office.
	Furthermore, the data on arrests held by the Home Office are reported at police force area level only therefore information on arrests in the Tamworth constituency are not available.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were prosecuted for supplying alcohol to persons under the age of 18 years in Tamworth constituency in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 3 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1027W.
	Court proceedings data collected centrally are available at police force area level only; therefore data for Tamworth constituency cannot be supplied.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects data collected on the number of anti-social behaviour orders issued and breached after 31 December 2006 to be available.

Alan Campbell: The data on antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) is based on information supplied to the Home Office by courts. This information is compiled by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) for the Home Office.
	ASBO data undergo extensive checking and a rigorous quality assurance process to verify the accuracy and completeness of the data they contain. Since December 2006 ASBO data have been published together with data on all the antisocial behaviour tools and powers collected from crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs) in an annual survey. The Government want to ensure that members of the public can find out easily how their local agencies are tackling antisocial behaviour.
	ASBO data for 2007 and the latest information on the use of tools and powers will be published shortly.

Borders: Personal Records

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which passport or passports of persons with dual nationality will be registered on the e-Borders database.

Jacqui Smith: The capability to identify passengers travelling on different passports is something that will be developed incrementally within e-Borders.
	As the system develops, the identification of passengers travelling on different passports will become easier to reconcile. Travel histories stored in the system will be person-centric, rather than travel document-centric and the use of more than one passport by an individual will be identified at the primary arrivals control, and captured within the system.

Borders: Personal Records

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral answer of 23 March 2009,  Official Report, column 16 and to the answer of 29 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1349W, borders: personal records where the information referred to in the answer is located on her Department's website; what categories of information on travellers and passengers will be collected for the purposes of the e-borders programme when the programme is fully operational; and whether the 10-year storing of information applies to all of these categories.

Phil Woolas: Information on e-Borders can be found on the UK Border Agency website at the following web address
	www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/advance-passenger-information
	e-Borders will collect Travel Document Information (TDI) on all journeys to and from the United Kingdom. These data consist of the eight sections of biographical data which are contained in the machine readable zone (MRZ) of a passport, being: name, date of birth, nationality, gender, travel document type, state of issue, number and expiry date.
	Carriers may be asked to provide reservation data (known as OPI or other passenger information) if this information has been collected in the normal course of their business. This information could include but is not limited to, date and place of reservation and ticket issue, method of payment and baggage details.

Borders: Security

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what investigations she has undertaken in respect of  (a) terrorism and  (b) organised crime in relation to travel between (i) the South Coast and the Isle of Wight, (ii) mainland Great Britain and British offshore islands other than the Isle of Wight, (iii) Great Britain and Northern Ireland and (iv) Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the last 12 months; and whether she plans to initiate a consultation on the use of the information-gathering powers under section 14 of the Police and Justice Act 2006.

Vernon Coaker: Criminal investigations across the UK are a matter for local chief officers of police, the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and other law enforcement agencies.
	Section 14 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 gives the police the power, subject to commencement through secondary legislation, to require a carrier, on request, to capture passenger and crew identity and other service data on domestic routes.
	The Government are considering the use of these powers on routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland only. This is to strengthen counter-terrorism checks on international travellers who attempt to evade checks by travelling through the Republic of Ireland into or out of the UK. There are no plans to introduce these powers on other domestic UK routes, such as crossings to the Isle of Wight nor any other offshore islands.
	The Government will consult fully on the detailed terms of any implementation legislation, including the forms of identity that would be needed, before the powers are introduced.

British Nationality

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effect on community cohesion of the Government initiative to require migrants to undertake community work before obtaining British citizenship.

Phil Woolas: The Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill sets out provision for speeding up the journey to British citizenship and permanent residence for migrants who contribute to the community through active citizenship. It will not be a mandatory requirement for migrants to undertake active citizenship. Those who choose to undertake active citizenship can speed up their journey by two years.
	A design group was set up in autumn 2008 including representatives from the voluntary sector and local government to advise on the most effective way to operate active citizenship in practice.
	A document was made available to the House in March 2009 to illustrate the Government's emerging thinking on active citizenship. Further details will be provided to the House when available.

British Nationality

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of recent representations made by the Strangers into Citizens campaign in respect of migrant workers and others whose residency status in the UK is undetermined; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of recent representations to her Department by the church leaders in respect of migrant workers and others whose residency status in the UK is undetermined; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Recent high-profile campaigns, such as 'Strangers into Citizens' (supported by the Mayor of London, the former Archbishop of Westminster and others), have brought the debate over a proposed amnesty for illegal immigrants and undocumented migrants into the public arena. However, the Government have ruled out an amnesty and this remains our position.
	An amnesty would be unfair to those who are here legally; it would act as a pull factor for even more attempts at illegal immigration; and it would counter the achievements by the UK Border Agency to toughen up our border and immigration system.

Closed Circuit Television

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1773W, on closed circuit television (CCTV), how many of the 44 recommendations in the national CCTV strategy have been implemented.

Jacqui Smith: Following publication of the long-term National CCTV Strategy in October 2007, good progress has been made in moving towards implementing the 44 recommendations. The recommendations targeted action from the police and local authorities to work together to improve public safety. The National Policing Improvement Agency took over responsibility for the Strategy in spring 2008. A National CCTV Strategy Programme Board has been established and has delivered five of these recommendations. The recommendations that have been implemented as at April 2009 are:
	Recommendation 3:The Home Office Scientific Development Branch and the British Security Industry Authority (BSIA) now have a seat on National and International standards bodies.
	Recommendation 4: Publication of a revised Operational Requirements Manual on 31 March 2009, along with a new CCTV image quality test target, will help educate and inform purchasers and end users regarding critical issues such as image quality.
	Recommendation 16: The BSIA's new "Get Licensed" Booklet (published October 2008) means that all BSIA licensed operators should know how to use CCTV correctly and are vetted to the appropriate level.
	Recommendation 24: New protocols mean that all police forces now have the capability of sharing Airwave telecommunications with local CCTV Managers and a significant number of police forces share intelligence with CCTV Control Centres. Such partnership working leads to the operation of public space CCTV providing best value to communities.
	Recommendation 29: An evaluation of camera to archive network access and data archiving has led to a recommendation for the police and the wider Criminal Justice System to move towards the use of managed secure servers for the long-term storage and archiving of CCTV and other forms of digital evidence.
	Since January 2009 the board has been reviewing the recommendations made in the Strategy. It is clear that, since the Strategy was written and published, some recommendations are either no longer appropriate or need reviewing. Therefore, in addition to the five already implemented, a further 12 will be implemented by the end of 2009 and an additional six by the end of 2010.
	The remaining 21 recommendations are currently being reviewed to take account of comments and changes in technology since publication. Once that review is completed, I shall write to the hon. Member and let him know the outcome.

Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what procedures are in place for the regulation of forensic practitioners after the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners ceases to operate and before a successor organisation is appointed; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether she received representations from the Forensic Science Regulator prior to the decision not to provide transition funding to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure the continuity of regulation of individual forensic practitioners following the closure of the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners; and if she will make a statement;
	(5)  on what date it was decided to cease funding the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The Independent Forensic Science Regulator was appointed in February 2008 to regulate forensic science quality standards. He has published his "Review of the Options for the Accreditation of Forensic Practitioners" and "Quality Standards for the Providers of Forensic Science Services to the Criminal Justice System" and proposes to move to a more robust model of standards regulation that moves the focus from just forensic practitioners to include standards for organisations, practitioners and the science methods used. The forensic science laboratories are already accredited to testing international standards; accreditation that includes assessment of practitioner competence by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). The accreditation option is available to all practitioners. Registration with the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners was a voluntary process that left the majority of practitioners either choosing not to register or not able to register (front-line scientists in the laboratories who are covered by the UKAS accreditation could not register with the Council).
	The Regulator was consulted prior to the decision not to provide transition funding. The Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners received in total some £2.9 million grant in aid with a clear requirement to be self-financing by March 2010. Police withdrawal of support removed up to 70 per cent. of the Council's income.
	The chief executive of the National Policing Improvement Agency wrote to the council on 4 February 2009 notifying his intention to cease any further funding. This was confirmed to the Council in a letter from my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Campbell) dated 27 February 2009 following a meeting with the chair and the chief executive of the council.

Cybercrime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed by the National High Tech Crime Unit in 2005 before its amalgamation into the Serious and Organised Crime Agency.

Jacqui Smith: The number of people employed in the NHTCU varied from time to time but in July 2005 there were 54 persons employed in the NHTCU.

Demonstrations: Parliament Square

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis consulted her on the policing of the demonstration in Parliament Square on 20 April 2009; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Police tactics and decisions on how to police demonstrations are a matter for the independent operational judgment of chief officers of police. The Home Office has received regular updates from the Metropolitan Police about the demonstration in Parliament Square.

Demonstrations: Parliament Square

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost of policing the protests by Sri Lankan Tamils has been to date in Westminster Square.

Vernon Coaker: This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office does not hold this information.

Demonstrations: Parliament Square

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police days have been spent on policing the demonstration by Tamils in Parliament Square since demonstrators first assembled there; and what the cost has been to date.

Vernon Coaker: This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police.
	The Home Office does not hold information about the cost of policing the demonstration.

Departmental Air Travel

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department on flights  (a) within England and  (b) outside the UK by (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: Total expenditure by the Home Department on flights outside the UK by Ministers, special advisers and civil servants in 2008-09 was £1,406,733.
	The annual cost of travel reflects both the size of the Home Office, as one of the largest Government Departments, and the scope and changing nature of the Department's business.
	Last year, the Home Office grew with the establishment of the UK Border Agency, incorporating UK Visas and Customs, which operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, at the UK border and in 135 countries around the world, This expansion took the total staff compliment of the Department to c.26,000.
	Expenditure by the Home Department on flights within England in 2008-09 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as the cost of domestic flights is not broken down by nation or region.
	Travel by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code and the civil service management code respectively.

Departmental Computers

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for East Surrey (Mr. Ainsworth) of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 29W, on departmental computers, whether her Department's system for the automatic switching off of all Departmental desktop devices overnight has been introduced.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office has a project in progress to implement automatic switching off of computers after hours. This project has not yet reached the stage where the computers power down automatically.

Departmental Data Protection

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland (Dr. Kumar) of 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 161W, on data protection, which of her Department's agencies plans to appoint a board level senior information risk owner; whether any salary increase is associated with the position; and what the responsibilities of each post holder will be.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office and its agencies have appointed at board level senior information risk owners to manage information risk. These roles are part of the remit and responsibilities of existing members of the board and do not attract any additional remuneration.
	The responsibilities of senior information risk owners are as follows:
	To provide an annual report of the assessment of information risk;
	To lead and foster a culture that values, protects and uses information for the public good;
	Own the overall information risk policy and risk assessment process, test its outcome, and ensure it is used; and
	Advise the accounting officer on the information risk aspects of his statement on internal control.

Essex Police Authority: Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation regulates Essex Police Authority; what amendments have been made to such legislation since its entry into force; what recent representations she has received on the operation of this legislation; which  (a) statutory instruments,  (b) departmental circulars and  (c) other documents she (i) has issued since July 2008 and (ii) plans to issue in the next 12 months consequent on the provisions of this legislation; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: Essex police authority, like all police authorities, is regulated by the Police and Justice Act 1996. There have been no changes to statutory instruments, or new ones issued, under this Act since the former Minister for Policing, Crime and Security, my right hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty) replied to the hon. Member's question on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 1348W, and I have not received any recent representations on any legislation. In relation to future changes, Home Office officials are currently reviewing the entire regulatory framework with the Association of Police Authorities. While I expect there will be some changes, the review is at too early a stage to say what those changes would be.

Human Trafficking

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the incidence of repeat trafficking of individuals.

Alan Campbell: The nature of human trafficking makes it difficult to provide a precise estimate of the number of victims in the United Kingdom, including those who are repeat victims. Our current estimate of the number of victims is that at any one time in 2003 there were up to 4,000 women in the UK who were victims of trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation.
	The United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre continues to work on providing a more up to date estimate of the number of victims. We will be in a position to provide a more up to date estimate of the overall number including repeat victims by the end of the year.

Human Trafficking: Babies

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to  (a) identify and  (b) prosecute offences related to the trafficking of babies into the UK.

Alan Campbell: A number of steps are being taken to identify and prosecute offenders trafficking babies into the UK. This includes the Government amendment to the Borders Citizenship and Immigration Bill which will enable the prosecution under trafficking legislation of those who bring babies and young children into the country for illegal purposes and where because of their age the role of the child is entirely passive.
	The Government's Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking includes a measure to prevent the trafficking of babies and children into the UK for fraudulently acquiring welfare benefits.
	Ongoing police-led operations at Heathrow and Gatwick continue to succeed in identifying trafficked children and ensuring their safety by working effectively with border staff and social workers.

Immigration

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Department uses the category of non-UK born UK nationals in its immigration  (a) policy and  (b) statistics.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office publishes data in statistical publications based on the nationality of a migrant rather than their place of birth. Publishing data on non-UK born UK nationals would require a cross tabulation of nationality and country of birth which is not available from the majority of UKBA statistical datasets.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) are employed and  (b) she estimates will be employed by the Independent Safeguarding Authority in July 2010.

Jacqui Smith: The ISA currently employs 184 staff and it is estimated it will employ between 200 and 250 full-time equivalent staff by July 2010.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget of the Independent Safeguarding Authority is for  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11 and  (c) 2011-12.

Jacqui Smith: The budget for ISA for  (a) 2009-10 is £12.9 million. The forecast cost requirement for ISA which will form the basis of a budget for  (b) 2010-11 is £40 million and for  (c) 2011-12 is £41.7 million.

Independent Safeguarding Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's expenditure was on the Independent Safeguarding Authority on the latest date for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) has been established to take barring decisions under the new Vetting and Barring Scheme. This is designed to improve public safeguarding by extending the scope of work with children and vulnerable adults covered by the barring regime, and providing independent decision making. The ISA is sponsored by the Home Office but funding is allocated jointly to the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health. Total expenditure on the scheme, including setting up the ISA was:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			 Capital 17.4 11.8 
			 Resource: 20.5 27.7 
			 Total 37.9 39.5

Internet: Children

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government plans to implement its commitment to ensure that all internet service providers use filters to block images of child abuse; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: The Government welcome the work done by industry to block images of child sexual abuse, resulting in 95 per cent. of consumer broadband lines being covered by blocking. The UK now hosts less than 1 per cent. of the total number of child abuse image sites on the internet, and when one is identified they are quickly closed down. We are currently looking at options to progress the final 5 per cent. and the Government will be setting out actions and time scales in due course.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State for Borders and Immigration plans to reply to the e-mail from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 19 February 2009, on undocumented migrants.

Phil Woolas: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 13 March 2009.

Offences Against Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the civil powers to protect children from internet grooming under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 have been used in each year since their entry into force in each police force area; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Campbell: There are a range of preventative civil orders available under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to protect children from the risk of sexual harm rather than a specific civil power to protect against internet grooming. The number of times, for example, Sexual Offences Prevention Orders and Foreign Travel Orders have been used in each year and by each police area is reported in the annual MAPPA reports. The MAPPA reports are available at:
	http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page30.asp

Police: Bureaucracy

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forms will be  (a) removed and  (b) reduced in length as part of the Government's commitment to reduce the administrative burden on police forces; and on what date the revised version of each amended form will come into effect.

Jacqui Smith: The Policing Green Paper, published last year, committed the Government to reduce red tape and improve police processes to free officers up to deal with the issues that matter most to local people.
	On 1 January 2009 changes to PACE Code A came in to effect which removed the requirement of police officers to complete the Stop and Account form, while retaining the recording of the ethnicity of those stopped for monitoring reasons.
	On 16 February 2009 the Home Office published a review by its permanent secretary, Sir David Normington, which set out detailed proposals for delivering the Green Paper's commitment for the Home Office to reduce by up to 50 per cent. the amount of data it collects from police forces. This included the immediate removal of the requirement for police officers to complete time-sheets for the purposes of Activity Based Costing.
	Action on forms is part of a wider approach to bureaucracy reduction, focusing on the simplification of policing processes and more effective management of risk. Jan Berry has been appointed as the independent Reducing Bureaucracy Advocate to challenge Government and the police service to make further progress on these issues, supported by a practitioner group of police officers and staff.

Police: Complaints

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were made against the police in  (a) England,  (b) Essex and  (c) Southend between 1997 and March 2004.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is contained in the following table.
	Figures held by the Home Office for complaints made against the police since 1997 to 2004 are for England and Wales.
	Figures below force level are not available centrally.
	
		
			  Area  1997-98  1998-99  1999-00  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			 England and Wales 35,820 31,653 30,807 31,034 26,710 24,562 25,376 
			 Essex (1)— (1)— 538 549 540 436 500 
			 Southend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1) Not held

Police: Firearms

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training police officers must undertake before being authorised to carry a gun.

Vernon Coaker: The training of authorised firearms officers is an operational matter for individual chief officers. There is a very detailed National Police Firearms Training Curriculum that all officers must undertake. Chief officers of police must decide how many trained firearms officers are needed within their force.

Police: G20

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers from forces in England and Wales other than the Metropolitan Police Service took part in policing the G20 summit.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 21 April 2009,  Official  Report, column 594W.

Police: Injuries

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in England and Wales  (a) have and  (b) have not adopted the procedure on reviews of injury awards set out in Annex C to Home Office Circular 46/2004.

Vernon Coaker: The information is not held centrally. It is for individual police authorities to decide whether to adopt Home Office guidance in relation to carrying out their statutory duties under the Police Injury Benefit Regulations.

Police: Manpower

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetables for the  (a) development and  (b) implementation of the revised Graduate Fast Track and High Potential Development Schemes for the police service are.

Jacqui Smith: The High Potential Development Scheme was revised and relaunched in 2008, with the first cohort selected by August 2008 and inducted in October 2008. A selection process for the 2009 cohort is currently under way.
	The proposed Graduate Fast Track scheme is to be launched in 2010. Options for the delivery of the scheme are currently being explored by the National Policing Improvement Agency.

Police: Powers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what timetable she envisages for proposed legislative changes to give officers the power to  (a) seize high value goods on arrest and  (b) prevent criminals being able to dissipate them before trial.

Jacqui Smith: These provisions are contained in the Policing and Crime Bill which is currently before Parliament.

Police: Standards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the new performance and development review process for police leaders will be  (a) finalised and  (b) implemented.

Jacqui Smith: The new Performance and Development Review (PDR) process for chief officers will be finalised by December this year, following discussions with stakeholders including the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities. It will be in place for the reporting year 2010-11.

Police: Standards

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the March 2009 target date set for the establishment of efficiency targets for police forces has been met by all police authorities.

Jacqui Smith: Police authorities are expected to set ambitious local targets for efficiency and productivity gains in the course of preparing their policing plans. Plans for the three years from April 2009 must be published by 30 June 2009.
	A new programme of police authority inspections starting later this year will assess how well authorities are delivering their principal duties, including ensuring value for money and productivity. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and the Audit Commission set out their proposals for joint inspection of police authorities in a consultation document published on 29 April (Police Authority Inspection, available at:
	http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/docs/police-authority-inspection

Police: Stun Guns

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions Taser stun guns have been  (a) drawn,  (b) arced as a demonstration warning,  (c) applied in a drive stun and  (d) fired by officers in each police force since 2003.

Alan Campbell: Figures on the use of Taser are published on a regular basis and can be found on the Home Office Scientific Development Branch website at
	http://scienceandresearch.homeoffice.gov.uk/hosdb/about-us/news/632275

Roadside Drug Testing

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of roadside drug testing kits as an alternative to current testing methods.

Alan Campbell: We are satisfied on the basis of independent advice that existing drug screening devices are not suitable to assist in the enforcement of drug driving offences.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which trade unions are recognised in her Department.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office recognises the trade unions FDA, Prospect, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and the Immigration Service Union (ISU).

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 17 March 2009 regarding a constituent, reference M6652/9.

Phil Woolas: A reply was sent by the UK Border Agency on 30 April 2009.

United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how her Department  (a) monitors and  (b) evaluates the work and performance of the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC); when the UKHTC plans to publish its first annual report; and if she will place a copy of that report in the Library on publication.

Alan Campbell: Oversight of all work on human trafficking is carried out by the Inter-Departmental Ministerial Group of which I am Chair.
	Monitoring and evaluation of the UK Human Trafficking Centre's work is carried out by the Oversight and Advisory Board, chaired by CC Graeme Maxwell, the ACPO lead on Organised Immigration Crime, and on which the Home Office is represented.
	The UKHTC plans to publish its annual report in the near future, a copy of which will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Foreign Workers: Pakistan

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people who were born in Pakistan were in employment in the UK in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2009 :
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many people who were born in Pakistan were in employment in the UK in each year since 1997. (274430)
	The requested information is shown in the attached table.
	The estimates are derived from estimates from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. This is assessed in a footnote to the table.
	The figures in the table are derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. Consequently the 2007 and 2008 estimates are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, or the non-UK born employment figures published every quarter, which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates.
	
		
			  People aged 16 and over  born in Pakistan in employment, three- month periods endin g December, 1997 to 2008,  United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			   Number 
			 1997 76,000 
			 1998 87,000 
			 1999 102,000 
			 2000 105,000 
			 2001 108,000 
			 2002 108,000 
			 2003 101,000 
			 2004 100,000 
			 2005 112,000 
			 2006 132,000 
			 2007 160,000 
			 2008(1) **181,000 
			 (1)( )Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (%) Statistical Robustness * 0 [le] CV<5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 [le] CV <10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 [le] CV <20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc).  Source: Labour Force Survey

Immigration: Commonwealth

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his most recent estimate is of the number of adult Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated May 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to respond to your question concerning the most recent estimate of the number of adult Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK. (274431)
	The Office for National Statistics collects data on the Annual Population Survey (APS) which covers residents of the UK. The latest estimates available are for the 12 month period of July 2007 to June 2008. These show that the estimated number of adults resident in the UK who have Commonwealth nationality was 1.15 million. The margin of error around this estimate is +/- 44,000.

Voluntary Organisations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his most recent estimate is of the number of third sector organisations; and how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to such organisations in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: There is no single source for the number of third sector organisations; however latest figures from the NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac 2009 report that in 2006-07 there were 170,900 general charities and an estimated 600,000 informal community organisations in the UK. Based on figures from the 2005-06 Annual Survey of Small Businesses by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform we estimate there to be at least 55,000 social enterprises in England.
	The amount of public funding received by general charities (from both central and local government sources) is estimated in the NCVO's UK Civil Society Almanac 2009 as follows:
	
		
			   £ billion 
			 2003-04 9.7 
			 2004-05 9.9 
			 2005-06 11.5 
			 2006-07 12.0 
			 2007-08 (1)— 
			 (1) Data not available as yet. 
		
	
	Figures on the allocation of funding to third sector organisations are currently available for central Government expenditure up to 2005-06, and are estimated, as follows:
	
		
			   £ billion 
			 2003-04 5.0 
			 2004-05 5.0 
			 2005-06 5.4 
		
	
	Estimates of local government expenditure on the third sector are not available for each of the past five years.

OLYMPICS

Olympic Games 2012: Young People

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2009,  Official Report, column 20, on Olympic legacy (young people), when the feasibility study into the proposed university on the Olympic site is expected to begin; who is to undertake the study; how much has been budgeted for the study; and when the study is expected to be completed.

Tessa Jowell: A feasibility study on the potential for a Centre for Research and Learning on the Olympic Park is currently under way. This study is being conducted by consultants overseen by a Steering Group comprised of representatives from Government, the Greater London Authority and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The study will cost up to £100,000. This work is being carried out in parallel with the public consultation on the proposition launched in April. If the study shows that there is a supportive business case, a prospectus will be developed for publication later in the summer through which formal expressions of interest will be invited. The prospectus will set out a high level business case, and provide an overall summary of likely costs and delivery plan.

Terrorism: Compensation

Ian McCartney: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the contribution of 24 March 2009,  Official Report, column 175, on international terrorism, who the lead Minister is for the consideration of a compensation scheme for UK citizens harmed in terrorist attacks overseas; what the terms of reference for that consultation are; and if she will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I have been asked to reply.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Olympics has responsibility for Humanitarian Assistance, and represents the interests of UK nationals affected by terrorism overseas.
	Officials from across Government have recently formed a working group to scope what more can be done in the future to support victims of terrorism abroad. The group will consider a range of detailed options for doing so and report to Ministers.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Departmental ICT

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer to the hon. member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) of 25 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1463W, on departmental ICT, 
	(1)  in what format the register which is to be replaced by the North Sea Licensing ICT project is held;
	(2)  how many staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies work on the (i) North Sea Licensing, (ii) Electricity Portal for electricity consents and (iii) Environmental emissions monitoring database ICT projects;
	(3)  on what date the  (a) North Sea Licensing,  (b) Electricity Portal for electricity consents and  (c) Environmental emissions monitoring database ICT projects were commissioned;
	(4)  what the total monetary value is of the contracts to deliver the  (a) North Sea Licensing,  (b) Electricity Portal for electricity consents and  (c) Environmental emissions monitoring database ICT projects;
	(5)  with which companies the Government has contracts to deliver the  (a) North Sea Licensing,  (b) Electricity Portal for electricity consents and  (c) Environmental emissions monitoring database ICT projects.

Mike O'Brien: All of the IT projects and contracts referred to are managed by DECC. The current register is stored in an Oracle database using a bespoke format developed by the Department. The new register will still use an Oracle database but will utilise the emerging internet Extendable Mark Up language XML. The Department has been leading an exercise among regulatory bodies across the world to develop a common format for licensing and concessions data.
	IT functions were outsourced some years ago and internal effort is now focused on project management and interface with user groups and industry. This means that the Department uses shared resources to manage these projects. Staff resources used, which are not full-time, are as follows:  (a) North Sea Licensing—three staff,  (b) Electricity Portal for electricity consents—three staff,  (c) Environmental emissions monitoring database—three staff.
	The dates the projects were commissioned are as follows:  (a) North Sea Licensing—2008,  (b) Electricity Portal—2006,  (c) Environmental emissions database—2005.
	All of these projects are multiple year projects with targets and break points. Updated cost estimates for the systems development are as follows:
	North Sea Licensing—£331,000—Costs rose slightly above original estimates to incorporate an extra application (requested by the oil industry) to support electronic licence round applications.
	Electricity Portal—£900,000—The first phase of the Electricity Portal was well received by the electricity industry and, in line with the initial vision, three additional applications have been added (the total cost estimate is therefore now higher than that quoted in the answer to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) of 25 November 2008).
	Environmental emissions database—£220,000.
	Companies with contracts to deliver these projects are as follows:  (a) North Sea Licensing—Fivium,  (b) Electricity Portal—Informed Solutions  (c) Environmental emissions database—Collabro.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of staff in his Department have received bonus payments since it was established; what the total amount of bonuses paid has been; what the largest single payment has been; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change was established on 3 October 2008, bringing together parts of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Since its establishment, 159 of the Department's staff have received bonus payments, equating to some 5.8 per cent. of the total number of staff. The total amount paid in bonuses is £75,600 and the largest single bonus payment is £8,000, whereas the average bonus payment is £428.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead of 23 January 2009 on fuel cells.

Mike O'Brien: We responded to the hon. Member on 28 April. I apologise for the delay.

TREASURY

Banks: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when state aid approval from the European Commission was  (a) sought and  (b) granted for his Department's guarantee scheme for asset-backed securities;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the value of assets to be guaranteed under the scheme for asset-backed securities.

Ian Pearson: In the 2009 Budget, the Government announced that the asset-backed securities (ABS) guarantee scheme is available for banks and building societies to use alongside the existing Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) scheme, to support their lending to the economy
	http://budget.treasury.gov.uk
	The scheme received state aid approval on 21 April 2009. The Government will keep the operation of the scheme under review.

Banks: Regulation

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions he has issued to the Financial Services Authority on changes in the risk management  (a) practices and  (b) staffing of banks since September 2007.

Ian Pearson: The matters covered in this question are the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority, whose day-to-day operations are independent from Government control and influence. I have asked the FSA to write to the hon. Member.

Cost Effectiveness

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what  (a) cashable and  (b) non-cashable efficiency savings non-ministerial departments will be required to make in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11;
	(2)  what  (a) cashable and  (b) non-cashable efficiency savings non-departmental public bodies will be required to make in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11.

Yvette Cooper: A departmental allocation showing how the Government will deliver over the course of the CSR £35 billion of value for money savings by 2010-11 was published at Budget 2009. Departments are responsible for setting budgets and value for money targets for their non-departmental public bodies to ensure that significant efficiency savings are made from NDPBs.

Departmental Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken by  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) HM Revenue and Customs to improve the thermal efficiency of their buildings in the last 12 months.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) HMT
	The Treasury is committed to improving energy efficiency of the Department's estate and reducing emissions year on year.
	In March 2009, HM Treasury was awarded the Carbon Trust Standard.
	 (b) DMO
	Measures taken to improve energy efficiency are achieved through general building management and include the suspension of the operation of unnecessary mechanical and electrical plant and switching off lights during non-working hours.
	 (c) HMRC
	Over the last 12 months HM Revenue and Customs has completed a programme to obtain display energy certificates and advisory reports for their estate. HMRC will work to develop a business case to invest in a programme of improvements based on the recommendations in the reports.
	Measures taken over the last year that have led to improvements in energy efficiency include:
	 1 Horse Guards Road, London:
	adjustment of lighting system controls;
	switch to daytime cleaning thus reducing the need for lighting after hours;
	adjustment to the temperature at which heating is turned on; and
	replacement of local radiator controls with more efficient ones.
	 Rosebery Court, Norwich:
	replacement of chillers and associated controls;
	adjustment to settings on Building Management System;
	upgrade to air conditioning to server room; and
	installation of power factor correction equipment.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the rates of vehicle excise duty for goods vehicles in each other EU member state; what each such rate is; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what EU regulations govern charges for ownership of goods vehicles in the UK;
	(3)  how much revenue was raised in vehicle excise duty from goods vehicles in each year since 1997;
	(4)  what the effect would be on the public purse of reducing vehicle excise duty for lorries to the EU minimum level in 2009-10.

Angela Eagle: Vehicle excise duty (VED) for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) has been frozen since 2001, to provide support to the road haulage industry. HGVs with a Reduced Pollution Certificate qualify for a reduced rate of VED, for achieving early compliance with mandatory European Union air quality standards. VED rates for each category of HGV are set out in DVLA form V149.
	Directive 1999/62/EC on the charging of HGVs for the use of certain infrastructure sets out minimum levels of tax for HGVs in the EU.
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has not historically provided disaggregated VED receipts to the Treasury, and so the Treasury does not have historical data on revenue raised from VED on goods vehicles alone. The total revenue raised from VED for all vehicles in each year since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			   Revenue (£ million) 
			 1997-98 4,500 
			 1998-99 4,900 
			 1999-2000 4,700 
			 2000-01 4,900 
			 2001-02 4,400 
			 2002-03 4,400 
			 2003-04 4,700 
			 2004-05 4,700 
			 2005-06 5,000 
			 2006-07 5,100 
			 2007-08 5,400 
			 2008-09 5,600 
		
	
	VED for HGVs is set according to the weight, chassis type and number of axles on a vehicle. Minimum levels of tax for HGVs as set out in directive 1999/62/EC are set according to similar variables. However, the weight limits in VED do not correspond to the weight limits as set by the directive. Furthermore, the directive sets different rates for vehicles depending on their suspension type, whereas rates of VED are not dependant on suspension type. In order to set all HGV VED rates at the minimum level permitted by the directive, it would be necessary to reform the entire structure of HGV VED. The Government have therefore not calculated the potential revenue effect of reducing VED rates for HGVs.

Fred Goodwin

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made in investigating whether some of Sir Fred Goodwin's pension may be clawed back.

Ian Pearson: With the agreement of UK Financial Investments Ltd., Sir Philip Hampton, the new chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland, has appointed a senior independent QC to carry out a full legal investigation of the issues relating to Sir Fred Goodwin's pension. This investigation is ongoing.

Knowledge Network Project

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) of 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 136W, on the knowledge network project, what procedures exist to enable civil servants to access the manuals and guidance on how to use the Knowledge Network.

Angela Eagle: There is no single specific guidance document on using the Knowledge Network. Guidance notes and manuals may be produced by individual departments. Buying Solutions is unable to comment on how such manuals and guides are accessed by staff.

Members: Correspondence

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Financial Secretary plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Ashford of 23 October 2008, reference 07649/2008.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 18 February 2009 on behalf of Mr. Drew of Coalpit Heath, acknowledged by his Department with the reference: 1/67589/2009.

Ian Pearson: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter of 24 March 2009 from the hon. Member for Woking on his constituent Mr. P. Burdett.

Ian Pearson: A reply has been sent to the hon. Member.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 18 March 2009, on the Lloyds Banking Group (PO Ref: 1/69452/2009).

Ian Pearson: Due to the large volume of correspondence received on these issues there has been a delay in sending some responses. The Financial Services Secretary hopes to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.

National Insurance Contributions

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effect of employer national insurance contributions increases announced in the Pre-Budget Report 2008 on the level of employment.

Stephen Timms: Changes to tax and national insurance are informed by a wide range of considerations, and are themselves one of many factors that influence the labour market. The UK has an open and flexible labour market with the Government continuing to take steps to support employment.
	Previous national insurance changes of a magnitude similar to those proposed for 2011-12 do not appear to have had a significant impact on employment.

Parliamentary Questions: Government Responses

Peter Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to answer Question 259158, tabled by the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire on 23 February 2009 on the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme; and what the reasons for the time taken to respond are.

Ian Pearson: The hon. Member's question (259158) was transferred to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 26 February. I replied in my capacity as Economics and Business Minister on 7 May 2009,  Official Report, column 417W.

Public Expenditure

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 340W, on the Barnett formula, whether he has set a date for the publication of his Department's factual paper on the Barnett formula.

Yvette Cooper: No date has yet been set.

Public Expenditure: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the 2009 Budget on  (a) young people and  (b) families resident in Coventry.

Stephen Timms: The Government's aim are that no young person should be permanently disadvantaged by the recession and that all young people should be given the support needed to make or maintain a connection to the labour market. Budget 2009 announced that every young person between 18 and 24 will be guaranteed a job, work placement or work-related skill training for at least six months after claiming jobseeker's allowance for 12 months.
	Budget 2009 announced an additional investment of £251 million in 2009-10 for the education and training of 16 and 17-year-olds. This will provide an extra 54,500 student places in the next academic year, ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to obtain the skills they will need to succeed.
	Young people in work will also receive additional support from an increase in the personal allowance from April 2009, worth £26 to a basic rate taxpayer. The Government are also supporting young people looking to enter the housing market for the first time. Since September 2008, the Government have launched homebuy direct, helping first-time buyers get on the property ladder, committed to bring forward spending to deliver new social housing, and announced an extension of the stamp duty land tax holiday for properties under £175,000 to the end of 2009.
	Information on the impact of Budget 2009 on specific regions can be found on the Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/Budget2009/bud09_pn_ westmidlands_26.pdf

Regional Planning and Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much was spent on the review of sub-national economic development and regeneration; what the staffing costs of the review were; and which  (a) departments and  (b) organisations contributed to the review;
	(2)  how many of his Department's staff members were involved in supporting the review of sub-national economic development and regeneration.

Angela Eagle: The review was lead by the Treasury, the then Department for Trade and Industry, and the Department for Communities and Local Government. A full list of the organisations that contributed to the review can be found in Annex B of the published report, a copy of which is in the Library and can be accessed via the Treasury's public website:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
	As there were fewer than five staff working directly on the review, it would be inappropriate to provide specific details.
	The costs of those working full time on the review were £225,431. That figure does reflect support provided by other staff across the Treasury, whose costs are not available separately.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost is of information technology infrastructural changes associated with the implementation of HM Revenue and Customs Workforce Change programme.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) Workforce Change programme will result in accommodation savings of over £230 million by 2011-12 as well as wider business efficiency savings delivered by re-organising staff into larger teams in a fewer offices. In the process of delivering these long-term savings, the Workforce Change programme has involved over 20,000 staff moving location within HMRC in order to release surplus office space, incurring associated one-off IT and telephony costs of approximately £12.7 million to date.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people work at  (a) Shrewsbury,  (b) Ludlow,  (c) Oswestry and  (d) Welshpool HM Revenue and Customs office; how many jobs are expected to be lost with the closure of each office; and what assessment has been made of the economic effect of each closure on the local area.

Stephen Timms: On 1 April 2009 there were 26 staff working in the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Shrewsbury, 19 in the Ludlow office, 32 in the Oswestry office and 30 in the Welshpool office.
	HMRC is committed to working with all staff affected by office closures to find alternative employment arrangements wherever possible, and until this process is concluded it is not possible to say how many staff may leave the civil service.
	Impact assessments were prepared for each office prior to the closure decision, to assess the impact of closure on the local economy, as well as on HMRC's staff and customers. Those assessments for the offices concerned concluded that, as in each case HMRC employees comprised less than one per cent. of the total numbers employed in the local authority area, the economic impact would be small.

Revenue and Customs: Crewe

Edward Timpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate has been made of the effect on HM Revenue and Customs' expenditure of its vacation of two floors in Crewe House, Crewe in the 12 months following vacation.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 8 May 2009
	HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) vacation of two floors of Crewe House by spring 2010 and the remainder of the building by 2011 will contribute to cumulative estate savings of over £230 million during the period April 2007 to March 2012. Specific estate savings figures for Crewe House cannot be supplied for reasons of commercial sensitivity relating to the accommodation and facility contract between HMRC and its business partner, Mapeley.
	Estate savings are only part of the overall savings HMRC expects to achieve as a result of improved efficiencies.

Stamp Duty Land Tax: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many residents of Tamworth constituency have paid less stamp duty land tax from the stamp duty land tax holiday since it began.

Ian Pearson: Data on property transactions up to 2007—the most recent year for which figures are published—can be found at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/survey_of_prop/index.htm
	These data include property transactions by type of property and price as well as the number and value of property transactions broken down by parliamentary constituency. Information on property transactions in Tamworth parliamentary constituency is included in the published parliamentary constituency tables.

Taxation

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is owed by businesses in  (a) Staffordshire and  (b) the UK in respect of schemes to defer payment of liability for (i) pay as you earn, (ii) value added tax and (iii) corporation tax to mitigate the effects of the economic downturn.

Stephen Timms: On 24 November 2008, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that HMRC had launched a new Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) to allow viable businesses in temporary financial difficulty time to pay their tax bills to a timetable they could afford.
	In the period up to 3 May 2009, the total value of time to pay agreed under the BPSS scheme for the United Kingdom amounted to over £2.2 billion of which approximately £320 million was for PAYE, £930 million for VAT and £380 million for corporation tax, helping over 100,000 businesses.
	The total value of time to pay agreed under the scheme for Staffordshire in the same period was £28 million. HMRC is unable to disaggregate this figure further without incurring disproportionate cost.

Valuation Office: ICT

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information technology contracts have been entered into by the Valuation Office Agency or its representatives on its behalf in the last 36 months.

Stephen Timms: The primary ICT contracts for the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are accessed HM Revenue and Customs' Aspire and Sprint contracts.
	Outside of these contracts, the VOA has, in the last 36 months, entered into a small system contract with TMS Data Capture to trail a time recording application—called Screen Time—for three months at a cost of £69,100. This project is designed to add capability to allow more detailed analysis of resource usage and costs within the VOA to improve resource allocation, decision-making and performance management.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Brazil: Politics and Government

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the Brazilian government on public security in shanty towns in Brazil and the effects of lack of security on  (a) children and  (b) other residents.

Gillian Merron: The Government have been funding activities by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) specializing in security sector reform in "favelas" or shanty towns. As part of this, they have worked with police to train them in community policing methods and with educational institutions for children.
	My noble Friend the then Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Amos, and the then Minister for Latin America, my right hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) visited favelas during their visits to Brazil in 2006 and 2007 respectively. They discussed conditions, including security, with the local government, local communities and NGOs.
	We also work with other EU embassies on a regular dialogue with Brazil on the full range of human rights issues and will have the opportunity to feed in views at the 8 June 2009 EU-Brazil Human Rights dialogue.

Entry Clearances: Fees and Charges

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 85-88WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what assessment he has made to the merits of establishing reciprocal arrangements with the country of origin when visas are offered gratis to fans visiting the UK to attend sporting events; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Gratis visas may be issued in a range of circumstances, commonly as a matter of international courtesy. This means that the visa applicant does not pay a fee for the application to be considered but another Government Department reimburses the Home Office for the lost fee income.
	In May 2008 we accepted 2,169 short-term visit visa applications from fans of F.C. Zenit St Petersburg travelling to Manchester for the UEFA cup final without a fee being paid by the applicant, normally £65. This was in part in recognition of the waiver of visa requirement by the Russian Government for fans of Chelsea F.C. and Manchester United F.C. travelling to the UEFA Champions League final in Moscow later in the same month.
	This was an unusual set of circumstances and no further consideration has been given to establishing permanent reciprocal arrangements with other countries.

G20: Greater London

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on  (a) coaches for delegates and the media and  (b) other transportation costs for the London Summit on 2 April 2009.

Gillian Merron: £9,165 was spent on coaches for delegates and £30,310 for the media.
	Other transportation costs totalled £81,924.02. This figure covers the provision of cars for delegates, coaches and cars for staff and interpreters' journeys and a ferry service for the media across the dock from ExCeL to their broadcasting positions at Millennium Mills.

Middle East: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what involvement UK officials have in the US strategic review of defence and security policy in the greater Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK was asked to contribute to the review of American defence and security policy conducted during 2008. A team with a wide range of thematic and geographic experience drawn from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence participated in the review.
	As the review has now been completed, the UK personnel have returned to other duties. However, we retain a number of UK personnel seconded to US Government Departments, including on the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

USA: Balkans

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart about the merits of a US Special Envoy for the Balkans.

David Miliband: We remain in close touch with the US Administration on Balkans policy, and have discussed at official level the prospects for the appointment of a US Special Envoy to the Balkans. To date no such appointment has been made.
	We will continue to work closely with US representatives, in both Washington and the region, on policy towards the Balkans.

JUSTICE

Court Funds Office

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the monetary value of cash deposits held by the Court Funds Office was at the latest date for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: As at 1 May 2009 the Court Funds Office held £4.6 billion for 155,183 accounts.

Crown Dependencies: Armed Forces

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many troops from Crown Dependencies are serving in Afghanistan.

John Hutton: I have been asked to reply.
	Data on the number of troops from British Crown Dependencies serving in Afghanistan are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Debts: Enforcement Restriction Orders

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of enforcement restriction orders issued by the judicial system on the payment protection insurance market.

Bridget Prentice: The statutory provisions creating the Enforcement Restriction Order (ERO) are not yet in force. EROs would be available to support those with short-term financial problems only and only where the court was satisfied that there were realistic prospects of recovery that would allow normal commitments to be met within six months.
	In view of these tight qualifying criteria it is unlikely that many people would qualify for such an order. On that basis it would have a negligible impact on the payment protection insurance market.

Departmental Air Travel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials from his Department of each  (a) grade and  (b) directorate have flown by British Airways on official business in each of the last five years; what the (i) destination and (ii) cost of the ticket was in each case; what his policy is on the use of British Airways by his Department's staff; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The number and cost of flights with British Airways made by officials in the Ministry on official business in the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number of flights  Cost (£) 
			 2007-08 790 295,628 
			 2008-09 804 273,064 
		
	
	Details of the destination and costs of individual flights, including refunds, have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The information provided is taken from the Ministry's procurement system and reflects flights booked through the Ministry's travel management company, the use of which is mandated in all but exceptional circumstances. The figures exclude any flights with British Airways where, exceptionally, members of staff have booked their own flights and been reimbursed via an expense claim. The information provided from procurement records is likely to represent approximately 95 per cent. of all flights.
	The information provided also identifies whether flights relate to those parts of the Ministry of Justice that used to be in the Department for Constitutional Affairs (ex-DCA) or to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). Further breakdown to Directorate level is available only at disproportionate cost. The grade of each official flying with British Airways could also be determined only at disproportionate cost. The Ministry's procurement system has recorded costs incurred with travel carriers on a central basis only since the commencement of the current travel management contract in January 2007. Information prior to that date is held locally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Ministry's policy is that air travel should only be used where there is a cost advantage from savings of subsistence and official time or if urgency justifies the additional cost. Staff are expected to travel economy class on flights up to 2.5 hours. On flights in excess of 2.5 hours staff at senior civil level (directors) and above may travel business class and other staff economy class. Where it is necessary to fly both outward and inward flights in one day or the flight lasts longer than four hours, budget holders have discretion to authorise a higher class of travel.
	The Ministry does not have a specific policy on the use of British Airways. The travel management company engaged by the Ministry is required to identify the most cost effective means of supplying the requested journey, taking account of the timing of flights and the cost of official time. The cost-effectiveness of flights supplied is actively monitored to ensure that value for money is obtained.

Driving Offences

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals were convicted of each driving offence in each year since 1997.

Jack Straw: The number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to motor vehicles in England and Wales for the years 1997 to 2007 (latest available) are shown in the following tables.
	Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
	
		
			  Number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, 1997 to 200 7( 1,2) 
			  Offence type  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Causing death or bodily harm 340 343 260 305 216 373 
			 Dangerous driving 5,926 5,742 5,243 5,184 5,254 6,279 
			 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 100,202 93,116 89,364 85,829 84,742 90,485 
			 Careless driving 55,758 52,144 46,763 41,323 36,907 33,579 
			 Accident offences 17,988 17,258 16,427 15,796 15,895 16,284 
			 Unauthorised taking or theft of motor vehicle 30,289 30,031 29,498 25,400 24,391 25,802 
			 Driving licence related offences 216,406 226,155 234,893 236,381 235,750 258,411 
			 Vehicle insurance offences 293,132 297,626 300,077 300,170 293,889 317,429 
			 Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 204,647 180,649 148,062 150,426 147,164 158,173 
			 Work record and employment offences 14,327 15,026 13,514 12,337 9,559 8,780 
			 Operator's licence offences 2,027 1,931 1,637 1,599 1,264 1,145 
			 Vehicle test offences 177,230 178,515 180,025 178,703 171,279 183,134 
			 Fraud, forgery etc., associated with vehicle or driver records 11,301 10,256 10,308 8,742 8,264 7,811 
			 Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 55,959 53,479 46,430 37,731 31,019 27,656 
			 Speed limit offences 132,796 153,495 153,573 141,376 135,572 124,554 
			 Motorway offences (other than speeding) 2,916 2,451 1,950 2,636 2,049 2,401 
			 Neglect of traffic directions 33,164 31,968 30,923 30,875 29,061 27,127 
			 Neglect of pedestrian rights 6,322 6,328 5,318 4,152 3,435 3,010 
			 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 15,131 16,219 15,958 13,331 13,110 12,442 
			 Lighting offences 19,047 18,678 17,288 14,469 11,535 11,274 
			 Noise offences 4,179 4,103 3,876 3,334 2,633 2,268 
			 Load offences 14,366 14,202 11,995 10,928 9,277 7,389 
			 Offences peculiar to motor cycles 2,099 2,155 2,053 2,114 2,176 1,848 
			 Miscellaneous motoring offences 47,988 40,550 39,043 32,002 40,358 45,822 
			 Total 1,463,540 1,452,420 1,404,478 1,355,143 1,314,799 1,539,576 
		
	
	
		
			  Offence type  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Causing death or bodily harm 371 384 413 381 393 
			 Dangerous driving 6,788 6,633 5,764 5,239 5,016 
			 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 93,701 96,238 93,718 92,671 89,223 
			 Careless driving 31,686 30,495 30,102 28,431 38,508 
			 Accident offences 17,089 16,272 15,162 14,466 14,509 
			 Unauthorised taking or theft of motor vehicle 24,232 21,798 19,194 17,664 17,444 
			 Driving licence related offences 292,751 303,393 267,533 228,277 184,826 
			 Vehicle insurance offences 354,030 359,730 322,095 292,720 249,017 
			 Vehicle registration and excise licence offences 205,070 193,780 151,762 118,743 91,699 
			 Work record and employment offences 8,263 6,379 6,070 5,282 4,753 
			 Operator's licence offences 753 697 675 649 495 
			 Vehicle test offences 196,237 181,686 144,238 107,629 61,088 
			 Fraud, forgery etc., associated with vehicle or driver records 7,553 6,679 4,556 3,651 2,694 
			 Vehicle or part in dangerous or defective condition 25,002 23,689 20,659 17,831 15,247 
			 Speed limit offences 139,998 143,169 160,391 154,427 148,607 
			 Motorway offences (other than speeding) 1,965 2,361 2,981 2,395 1,946 
			 Neglect of traffic directions 28,724 30,128 28,479 30,360 29,488 
			 Neglect of pedestrian rights 3,212 3,196 2,938 2,465 2,305 
			 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 13,243 10,312 8,192 6,758 4,425 
			 Lighting offences 10,565 9,676 8,959 7,142 5,348 
			 Noise offences 1,805 1,478 1,198 925 683 
			 Load offences 7,701 6,802 5,678 5,103 4,969 
			 Offences peculiar to motor cycles 1,996 2,141 3,101 2,943 2,228 
			 Miscellaneous motoring offences 66,841 82,358 80,077 72,367 75,280 
			 Total 1,539,474 1,383,935 1,218,519 1,373,476 1,050,191 
			 (1) It is known that for some police force areas the reporting of court proceedings, in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source:  Office for Criminal Justice Reform—evidence and analysis unit.

Electoral Register: Overseas Residence

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many expatriate British electors are registered to vote in general and European elections.

Michael Wills: A British citizen who is not resident in the UK is able to vote in UK and European parliamentary elections for up to 15 years after leaving the UK provided that they were included in a register of parliamentary electors where they were last resident. In addition, a British citizen who was resident in the UK within the last 15 years but who was too young to be included in a register of parliamentary electors before they left is also able to vote.
	Eligible overseas electors wishing to register for such elections must complete an application and declaration to be included in the category of 'overseas elector' in the electoral register. This category might include, for example, British citizens who may be studying or working abroad and those on working holidays. According to ONS figures, as of 1 December 2008 13,632 electors can register at any time up to 11 days before a poll this figure may increase in the run up to an election.

Electoral Register: Standards

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Electoral Commission on underperforming electoral registration departments, as referred to in the Electoral Commission's recent report, Performance Standards for electoral registration officers in Great Britain; and if he will make it his policy directly to inform each hon. Member representing a constituency in an underperforming local authority area that their local authority is underperforming.

Michael Wills: On 22 April 2009 the Electoral Commission published its first set of results in respect of its performance standards regime for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in Great Britain.
	Each ERO self assessed themselves against the 10 standards grouped into four broad subject areas:
	Completeness and accuracy of electoral registration records
	integrity of the registration process
	encouraging participation in the registration process and
	planning and organisation.
	The aim of the performance standards is to identify best practice by those EROs meeting or exceeding the standards and to allow steps to be taken to improve the performance of those who have not meet the standards. We want all EROs to perform at the level of the best.
	I intend to discuss the result of performance standards for EROs when I next meet with the Commission. I do not intend to make it my policy to inform each hon. Member representing a constituency in an underperforming local authority area that their local authority is underperforming. It is the Electoral Commission's role under the performance standards regime to monitor and analyse the performance of EROs and we do no wish to duplicate that.
	I understand that the Electoral Commission has published comprehensive detailed information about the 2008 assessment of performance by each ERO in Great Britain against the performance standards on its website. I would urge all Members to take the time to examine the results for their respective areas.

European Court of Human Rights

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which legal firms have received public money in support of an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in which the Government is a party since May 1997; and how much each has received.

Michael Wills: The Council of Europe has its own legal aid scheme to support applicants at the European Court of Human Rights. The Government do not hold statistics on the specific disbursement of money from this scheme to applicants and their representatives. UK public funding is not available for proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights.

Land Registry

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to box 3.E of the final report of the Operational Efficiency programme, by what means the Land Registry will develop opportunities for the provision of wider commercial services and products.

Michael Wills: Land Registry currently provides add value products and services under the following headings; consultancy services, data services, electronic and online services and register services.
	Land Registry is embarking upon the implementation of an organisational strategy under the heading of 'Customer Engagement Management'. Central to this strategy will be the implementation of an internal framework to bring together people process and systems capable of identifying, developing and delivery appropriate products and services that meet current and future customer needs through gaining increased customer knowledge.
	Land Registry will proactively use this approach to identify opportunities that deliver added value products and services to their customers; this will further harness the power of customer knowledge to align Land Registry's core business around the changing needs of its customers.

Legal Profession: Honours

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which members of legal firms who have acted for those bringing cases against the Government in the European Court of Human Rights since May 1997 have received an honour.

Michael Wills: The Government do not keep a central record of which legal firms have acted for applicants in cases against the United Kingdom at the European Court of Human Rights. Where an application has resulted in an admissibility decision or judgment by the Court—these are available publicly on the Court's website at:
	http://www.echr.coe.int—
	the applicant's representatives may be named in the decision or judgment. The names of individuals who have received honours are published in the London Gazette.

Probation: Wales

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many trainee probation officers he expects to qualify in the South Wales probation area in 2009; and how many permanent posts for such trainees there will be in that year;
	(2)  how many trainee probation officers he expects to qualify in  (a) Wales and  (b) England in 2009;
	(3)  how many trainee probation officers he expects to qualify in Dyfed Powys probation area in 2009; and how many posts there will be for newly-qualified officers in that area of qualification;
	(4)  how many trainee probation officers he expects to qualify in Gwent probation area in 2009; and how many posts there will be for newly-qualified officers in that area of qualification;
	(5)  how many trainee probation officers he expects to qualify in North Wales probation area in 2009; and how many posts there will be for newly-qualified officers in that area of qualification;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the cost of training a probation officer.

David Hanson: The number of trainee probation officers (TPOs) due to qualify in each area requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Area  Number of TPOs due to qualify in 2009 
			 Dyfed-Powys 7 
			 Gwent 9 
			 North Wales 7 
			 South Wales 21 
		
	
	44 TPOs are due to qualify in Wales in October 2009. A further 469 TPOs are due to qualify in England.
	The newly appointed Directors of Offender Management will ensure that Probation Area resourcing and work force plans will include planning for TPO employment.
	The current cost of salary and training a probation officer over the two year training programme is approximately £74,000.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Public Expenditure

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1015W, on departmental public expenditure, what proportion of the International Inspiration Programme budget his Department's grant represents; and whether this further funding is classified as official development assistance.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's £7.4 million contribution is equivalent to around 31 per cent. of the £23.79 million in funding committed so far to the International Inspiration Programme.
	The programme is considered to be ODA-eligible in line with the relevant directives laid out by the OECD Development Assistance Committee.

Pakistan

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) locally-engaged and  (b) UK-based staff his Department employs in Pakistan; and how many of these (i) are based in and (ii) travel to (A) the North West Frontier Province and (B) Federally Administered Tribal areas in connection with their responsibilities.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) no longer publicises staff numbers for country offices, following an assessment of DFID's work in insecure environments by the National Audit Office in October 2008, and a range of improvements to our security policies and procedures.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many development and education projects funded by his Department are located in Swat; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether any  (a) schools and  (b) educational materials funded by his Department in Swat have been destroyed by the Taliban.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) do not currently have projects that are specifically focused on Swat or the neighbouring districts that are most affected by conflict. We are providing support across the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) for the delivery of basic services, including education, health, water, sanitation and micro-finance. In some places these services have been significantly disrupted by conflict, although in most of NWFP services are still being provided as normal. We are closely monitoring the situation with the provincial government and other development partners.
	None of the schools or education materials funded by DFID have been destroyed by the Taliban.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which  (a) programmes and  (b) projects his Department supports in (i) the North West Frontier Province and (ii) the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan; and how much his Department gave to each 2008-09.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) supported the following programmes and projects targeted directly in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan during 2008-09:
	
		
			  Programme  Expenditure during  2008-09( 1)  ( £ ) 
			 NWFP Education Programme 13,600,000 
			 NWFP Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project 1,069,989 
			 NWFP Provincial Reforms Programme 1,590,058 
			 FATA Secretariat Capacity Building Programme 280,598 
			 Earthquake Rehabilitation Programme(2) 3,584,267 
			 Humanitarian Support Programme(3) 2,000,000 
			 Total 22,124,912 
			 (1) Provisional (2 )Programme shared equally between NWFP and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Only the NWFP component is shown here. (3) Covers both NWFP and FATA. 
		
	
	In addition, in 2008-09, DFID supported the following nationwide programmes which helped provide services in NWFP and FATA as well as in other parts of Pakistan:
	
		
			  Programme  Expenditure during  2008-0 9( 1)  ( £ ) 
			 Poverty Reduction Budget Support 30,000,000 
			 National Health and Population Facility 15,004,579 
			 Polio Eradication Initiative 5,000,000 
			 Maternal and Newborn Health Programme 10,894,027 
			 Achieving Universal Access to Control HIV/AIDS 3,547,882 
			 Rural Support Programmes Network 1,746,881 
			 Financial Inclusion Programme 10,011,940 
			 Voluntary Repatriation of Afghan Refugees 1,000,000 
			 Total 77,205,309 
			 (1) Estimated.

Pakistan: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what effect recent events in the Swat valley have had on his Department's operations in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Insecurity in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), including Swat district, has a major effect on both the provincial government's capacity to deliver services and the international community's ability to provide development assistance. We are monitoring the situation closely and are in discussion with the provincial government and other development partners.
	The Department for International Development (DFID) do not currently have projects that are specifically focused on Swat or neighbouring districts that are most affected by conflict. We are providing support across the province for the delivery of services, including education, health, water, sanitation and micro-finance. In some places these services have been significantly disrupted, although in most of NWFP services are still being provided as normal. As we design new programmes, we undertake detailed assessments of conflict, security and risk in order to develop effective approaches to the delivery of basic services in conflict affected areas. In direct response to the consequences of conflict in NWFP and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas we have so far provided £12 million of humanitarian assistance to help those who have been displaced from their homes.

Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much humanitarian aid the UK has provided to Sri Lanka in the last 10 years.

Michael Foster: This information is available in the Department for International Development's (DFID) Statistics on International Development publication. Copies of this are available in House of Commons Libraries and on the DFID website:
	www.dfid.gov.uk.

Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with representatives of international aid agencies on the provision of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan Government on the provision of humanitarian aid to that country;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with representatives of non-governmental organisations on the provision of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka.

Michael Foster: I and other UK Ministers have had many such discussions to try to improve the provision of aid to Sri Lanka. These include my visit to Sri Lanka on 27-28 April where I met the Sri Lankan Government, international agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). I pressed on the Government of Sri Lanka the need to: ensure international humanitarian access to those in the conflict zone; protect people from disproportionate use of force; and ensure early return for those who have been displaced. I also pressed the Government of Sri Lanka to improve the conditions for people in displacement camps, especially through allowing international organisations and NGOs better access. I updated the House on my visit and other recent developments in a written statement on 29 April 2009,  Official Report, columns 49-50WS.

Zimbabwe: Death

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have died of starvation in Zimbabwe in the last 12 months.

Ivan Lewis: There are no figures available for the number of people who have died of starvation in Zimbabwe in the last 12 months as public record-keeping systems have, in many cases, broken down. According to the most recent UN nutritional assessments, malnutrition rates have continued to remain below emergency levels. Death from disease (including HIV/AIDS, TB, cholera and other gastro-intestinal conditions) is far more likely than starvation.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID) Zimbabwe programme is aimed at tackling the whole range of life-threatening and other urgent challenges facing ordinary Zimbabweans. We provided £49 million in aid to the people of Zimbabwe in 2008-09, none of which passed through government hands.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Aviation: Radio Frequencies

Patricia Hewitt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the International Telecommunications Union on the implications for aeronautical radio spectrum in the UK of introducing administered incentive pricing.

Patrick McFadden: My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has not had recent discussions with representatives of the International Telecommunication Union, on the implications for aeronautical radio spectrum in the UK of introducing administered incentive pricing. Discussions of this nature are a matter for the regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which represents the UK Government on matters of international spectrum policy, including in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Bankruptcy: Wales

Mark Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many bankruptcies there have been in each business sector in Wales since 2000.

Patrick McFadden: Statistics for individual bankruptcies attributable to trading-related debts are not readily available broken down by the industry sector of the business for Wales separately. Corporate insolvency statistics in Wales are similarly not available by industry sector.
	Headline insolvency statistics published by the Insolvency Service cover England and Wales as a whole, and these, including the latest industrial breakdowns may be found here:
	http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/otherinformation/statistics/200905/index.htm.

Business: Voluntary Organisations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent steps his Department has taken to foster links between businesses and the third sector.

Ian Pearson: Social enterprises have a valuable role to play in our economy and BERR is fully committed to creating an environment in which all enterprise, including social enterprise, can thrive and grow.
	Examples of Government support mechanisms to help achieve this include 'Real Help for Businesses' and 'Solutions for Business', which is the Government's streamlined portfolio of business support products, providing tailored advice to help social and other enterprises start and grow.

Cabinet: Glasgow

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many  (a) special advisers and  (b) officials of his Department accompanied the Secretary of State to Glasgow for the Cabinet meeting on 16 April 2009.

Patrick McFadden: One official and no special advisers.

Conditions of Employment: Carers

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress has been made on implementing the National Carers Strategy with respect to  (a) flexible working practices for carers including the definition of carer in flexible working legislation,  (b) awareness among employers and carers of flexible working and  (c) the production of a good practice guide for employers on supporting carers; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: I apologise for the delay in responding.
	The following details work under way in relation to the progress on the Carers Strategy.
	 (a) Flexible working practices for carers including the definition of carer in flexible working legislation
	The Work and Families Act 2006 extended the right to request flexible working to carers of adults where the person cared for is a relative or lives at the same address. This definition covers approximately 80 per cent. of carers. BERR will review the definition of carer in relation to flexible working once the impact of the current extension has been evaluated. This is part of the short to medium-term commitments in the Carers Strategy to be undertaken by 2011.
	 (b) Awareness among employers and carers of flexible working
	The Government are actively promoting the right to request flexible working, focusing primarily on employers, carers and parents. Activities are being spread over 12 months encompassing media opportunities, ministerial events and using publications to reach the various target audiences. The campaign is both raising awareness of the individuals' right to request flexible working and helping employers understand how to handle such requests through more effective use of tools and advice available on BusinessLink.Gov.
	Improved guidance on the Businesslink website aims to help employers implement flexible working and provides all the information they need to comply with the law including free online forms and guidance tools to help deal with requests—helping save time, money and stress.
	The Directgov website provides practical information and advice for individuals including their rights under the law and how to make a request.
	In the run up to 6 April 2009 the Government contracted 890,000 SMEs to highlight the change in the law and to publicise the guidance available at
	www.businesslink.gov.uk
	This aimed to make sure businesses knew where to find the free help available and could avoid having to pay for professional external advice, thereby making the implementation of flexible working in the workplace easier and simpler to manage.
	Also in the run-up to 6 April Directgov ran a campaign encompassing magazine advertorials, radio slots and television advertising, and highlighting the guidance and advice available on
	www.direct.gov.uk
	Flexible working messages were included as part of this campaign. The Government also engaged with key stakeholders including Working Families, CarersUK, the Scouts and the TUC to promote the flexible messages to employees.
	 (c) The production of a good practice guide for employers on supporting carers
	Employers for Carers, facilitated by Carers UK and led by a core group of employers, was formally launched in January 2009. Their work includes identifying and promoting the business benefits of supporting carers in the workplace and offering employers practical support to develop and benchmark good practice. They aim to create a culture that supports carers in and into work. Government are working with groups such as Carers UK and Employers for Carers to assess the best way of disseminating and promoting a good practice guide as agreed in the Carers Strategy.

Contracts

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will take steps to ensure that companies which do not complete work which they have contracted to undertake do not receive the full value of payments specified in such  (a) public and  (b) private sector contracts.

Ian Pearson: Where there is not full or satisfactory receipt of the required outputs, full payment should not be made and this commercial position is reinforced in Government's recommended model terms and conditions of contract for goods and services. These model terms also include a range of remedies available to the procuring authority in the event of a contractor's failure to meet the required specification.

Departmental Domestic Visits

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many bank branches the Secretary of State has visited on official business in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State visited a branch of Natwest at 1 Princes Street, London, to mark the start of RBS's regional fund schemes for local entrepreneurs.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many laptops were provided to  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was.

Patrick McFadden: The Department uses two types of laptop device. One provides secure remote access to the Departments network from the UK and overseas; the other is a standalone model with encryption. The figures in the following table show the number of laptops in use at the end of each financial year.
	
		
			   Device Type  Ministers  Special Advisors  Civil Servants 
			 2005 Secure 0 8 1,500 
			 2006 Remote 0 8 800 
			 2007 Access 1 3 653 
			 2008 Laptops 0 1 613 
			 2009  0 1 568 
			  
			 2005 Standalone 0 0 *1,000 
			 2006 Laptops 0 0 *800 
			 2007  0 0 *550 
			 2008  2 0 322 
			 2009  2 0 350 
			  Notes:  Costs  Secure Remote Access Laptops *Estimated costs by financial year: 2005-6 None Purchased 2006-7 £389,000 2007-8 £796,000 2008-9 None Purchased  Standalone Laptops Information on the cost of standalone laptops is available from 2007 only. 2007-8 £9,095 2008-9 £16,955

Departmental Public Consultation

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies paid Opinion Leader Research in financial year 2007-08.

Patrick McFadden: Central records indicate that the Department paid Opinion Leader Research Ltd. £108,152.29 in financial year 2007-08.
	I have asked chief executives of the Executive agencies to respond directly to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 11 May 2009 :
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform has asked me to reply to your question how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies paid Opinion Leader Research in financial year 2007-08.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform made no payments to Opinion Leader Research in the financial year 2007-08.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones , dated 11 May 2009 :
	I am responding on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 2 March 2009, UIN 260972, to the Minister of State for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	Companies House did not make any payments to Opinion Leader Research in the financial year 2007-08.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Ltd. since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Central records indicate that the Department has made no payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services to Deborah Mattinson and Opinion Leader Research Ltd. since 31 December 2007.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1128W, on the economic situation, what expenditure under what budgetary headings his Department incurred in relation to each of its Department's three summits on the economic situation held at 1 Victoria Street since January 2009.

Patrick McFadden: The costs of the three summits referred to in my answer to the hon. Member on 17 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1128W, were as follows:
	Regional Economic Council—5 November 2008: Total cost: £395.25 of which venue hire was £328.00 and hospitality was £67.25.
	Credit Card Summit—26 November 2008: Total cost: £1,126.30 of which venue hire was £490.00 and hospitality was £636.30.
	Regional Economic Council—5 January 2009: Total cost: £605.70 of which venue hire was £468.00 and hospitality was £137.70.

East Midlands Airport: Radio Frequencies

Patricia Hewitt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the cost to East Midlands Airport of the introduction of administered incentive pricing for aeronautical radio spectrum;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the individual cost to passengers using East Midlands Airport of administered incentive pricing for aeronautical radio spectrum if the full cost is passed on by airlines.

Patrick McFadden: The matter raised is the responsibility of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the chief executive of Ofcom to reply directly to my right hon. Friend. Copies of the chief executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Electronic Equipment: Forgery

Tim Boswell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of  (a) the prevalence of counterfeit electronic components and  (b) the extent of their inclusion in assemblies for military and civilian purposes; and what steps are being taken to inform users of the dangers of component failures.

Ian Pearson: The Department has made no such estimates, but we recognise that counterfeiting of electronic components is a problem in the UK, and we are helping the UK Electronics Alliance (UKEA) to co-ordinate work on ways to share best practice on prevention, detection and intelligence sharing.
	Other organisations involved in this work include the MOD, HMRC, the UK Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards, the Components Obsolescence Group, Intellect, and the Association of Franchised Distributors of Electronic Components (AFDEC).

Minimum Wage: Telephone Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what consultation his Department undertook with the Public and Commercial Services Union before the decision was taken to outsource the national minimum wage helpline.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 7 May 2009
	Several meetings took place with trade union representatives about the Department's plans prior to a decision being taken to outsource the new single enforcement helpline. These representatives included both local and national public and commercial services union officers.
	The new helpline will provide a single point of contact for vulnerable workers and employers seeking information and advice about the national minimum wage, the agricultural minimum wage, working time regulation and the special regulations relating to employment agencies and gangmasters. Plans for the helpline have been discussed at meetings of the Fair Employment Enforcement Board which brings together enforcement agencies from across Government, as well as employer and employee representations.

Minimum Wage: Telephone Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which organisations bid for the national minimum wage helpline contract; and what the monetary value of the contract awarded to BSS for the national minimum wage helpline is.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 7 May 2009
	The contract with BSS will last for three years, with a possibility of extension for a further three years if the service proves to be effective, and represents value for money. The Department regards the anticipated contract value and the names of the unsuccessful bidders as commercially confidential.

Minimum Wage: Telephone Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library a copy of the business case for the decision to outsource the work of national minimum wage helpline.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 7 May 2009
	The Department looked very carefully at options for direct Government delivery of the service before turning to an outsourcing solution.
	The helpline provider was selected following a competitive tendering process which assessed bids against a number of factors including value for money, evidence of a high level of operator skills, a track record in delivering sensitive services on behalf of the public sector, and flexible IT systems and skills. I expect the successful tenderer to deliver a high quality service for vulnerable workers and for the different workplace enforcement bodies that stand behind the helpline.

Minimum Wage: Telephone Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what training has been provided to BSS staff who will be employed on the national minimum wage helpline contract.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 7 May 2009
	BSS's helpline staff are receiving more than eight weeks' full-time training prior to commencement of the new helpline service. Much of the training has been delivered by the Government's workplace enforcement bodies on whose behalf the helpline will answer straightforward queries from callers, and refer on complex queries and complaints of abuses which require investigation.

Ministers: Members Interests

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice the Secretary of State received from  (a) his Permanent Secretary and  (b) the independent adviser on Ministers' interests, pursuant to paragraph 7.7 of the Ministerial Code, prior to establishing his blind trust.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 5 May 2009
	My right hon. Friend's blind trust was established prior to his becoming Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

Mobile Phones: Contracts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints Ofcom has received on the handling by each mobile telephone service provider of cancellations of mobile telephone services in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: Office of Communications (Ofcom) have advised that the information requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. While Ofcom does monitor the levels of complaints against service providers' customer services, this information is aggregated and does not go down to the level of detail requested.
	Furthermore, Ofcom only publishes complaints data in an aggregated manner and does not release supplier-specific information. The Communications Act 2003 provides clear guidance for how Ofcom should release supplier-specific information. Ofcom must also weigh up the potential risk of civil liability, should it release information that is inaccurate or misleading.

Non-domestic Rates

Peter Luff: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department has had with the Treasury and the Department for Communities and Local Government on the implementation of measures to introduce automatic rate relief for small businesses.

Ian Pearson: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government gave on 5 May 2009,  Official Report, column 141W.

Regional Development Agencies: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by each of the regional development agencies is in 2008-09.

Patrick McFadden: The table illustrates the estimated costs of empty property business rates for RDA properties recorded on the e-PIMS database.
	RDAs are required to record operational properties on e-PIMS but do not have to record Regeneration properties where these are intended to be held by the Agency on a temporary basis.
	The LDA is not required to use e-PIMS—it provides data to the Greater London Authority.
	
		
			  RDA  £ 
			 Advantage West Midlands 35,000 
			 East of England Development Agency 109,000 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 24,000 
			 North West Development Agency (operational properties only) 48,000 
			 One North East (operational properties only) — 
			 South East England Development Agency (all properties, including regeneration properties) 560,000 
			 South West England Regional Development Agency 146,000 
			 Yorkshire Forward (includes significant city/town centre premises, where the RDA is pursuing a vacant possession strategy in advance of redevelopment) 1.02 million

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what funding each regional development agency has given to each regional health Brussels office in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: No RDA has provided funding to a regional health Brussels office.

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding had been allocated to each regional cultural observatory from regional development agencies for 2009-10.

Patrick McFadden: No RDA has allocated funding to a regional cultural observatory in 2009-10.

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals for enabling regional development agencies to delegate responsibility for funding decisions to local authorities.

Patrick McFadden: The Government's response to the consultation on the SNR recognised that much of the original policy intention could be met under existing legislation by encouraging closer working between RDAs and local authorities in planning how the regional strategy would be implemented. By taking a joint approach to planning investment in the region, it will be possible for local authorities to take on a large degree of responsibility for delivering agreed programmes and projects in their area. Revised guidance will be issued shortly to make this clear.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Local Housing Allowance

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of local housing allowance.

Kitty Ussher: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Willie Rennie) today.

New Claimants

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides for the newly unemployed.

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides through Jobcentre Plus to assist newly unemployed people.

Tony McNulty: The Government are doing everything they can to help people get back into work as quickly as possible. Since last autumn, the Department has put in place a substantial package of support for the newly unemployed, including help with modern job search techniques for professionals and executives, as well as increasing funding for the Rapid Response Service by 400 per cent. and expanding Local Employment Partnerships, the Adviser Discretion Fund and Access to Work.

New Claimants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what further provision he plans to introduce to support newly unemployed people.

Tony McNulty: We recognise the importance of providing customers with targeted support early in their claim.
	This is why we introduced a substantial package of extra support for newly unemployed people, including help with latest jobsearch techniques for professionals, and the extension of local employment partnerships, the Adviser Discretionary Fund and Access to Work.
	Jobcentre Plus is in the process of recruiting additional staff to ensure service levels are maintained through the current downturn.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the criteria for eligibility for winter fuel allowance were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: We keep the eligibility criteria for winter fuel payments under review.

Pensioner Assistance

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assistance his Department provides to people who receive pension credit in relation to payment of council tax.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to ensuring that pensioners receive the support they are entitled to. We have already simplified the claims process so that pensioners can claim state pension, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit in one phone call and we continue to look at ways of making further improvements.

Jobcentre Plus

Phil Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much additional funding he plans to provide for Jobcentre Plus to meet demand for its services in 2009-10.

Tony McNulty: The additional funding for Jobcentre Plus to meet the demand for its services in 2009-10 is expected to be around £700 million.

Flexible New Deal

Ian Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his plans are for the future operation of the flexible new deal; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Thanks to significant additional funds committed at the pre-Budget report and the Budget, the Department is on track to deliver flexible new deal in phase 1 areas from October 2009.
	It is envisaged that jobseekers in phase 2 areas will be referred to flexible new deal from October 2010.

Incapacity Benefit Claimants

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to assist long-term incapacity benefit claimants into work.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to assist long-term incapacity benefit claimants into work.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State earlier.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the population in the West Midlands is in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.

Tony McNulty: In March 2009 the proportion of the working-age population in the West Midlands claiming jobseeker's allowance was 5.3 per cent.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of jobseeker's allowance claimants undertaking mandatory Jobcentre Plus training courses at six months found sustainable jobs of 26 or more weeks duration on completion of their courses in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 20 April 2009
	The information requested is not collated centrally.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people aged between 18 and 24 years claimed jobseeker's allowance in each of the last five years; and what proportion of the 18 to 24 years age group in  (a) the UK,  (b) each of the Scottish regions and  (c) North East Fife constituency claimed the allowance in each year.

Tony McNulty: The available information is shown in the following table.
	Population estimates for parliamentary constituencies in Scotland are published by the General Register Office for Scotland. The age breakdown provided is for five-year age groups. No estimate is available for the age group 18-24, therefore the proportions requested cannot be calculated.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance claimants aged 18-24 in UK, Scotland by local authority area, and North East Fife parliamentary constituency in each of the last five years 
			  Area  March 2005  % of pop.  March 2006  % of pop.  March 2007  % of pop.  March 2008  % of pop.  March 2009  % of pop. 
			 United Kingdom 254,665 4.6 297,440 5.3 289,365 5.0 259,610 4.5 460,420 8.0 
			
			 Scotland 25,915 5.6 27,535 5.8 25,175 5.2 22,250 4.6 37,735 7.9 
			
			 Aberdeen City 705 3.1 665 2.8 530 2.2 465 1.9 715 3.0 
			 Aberdeenshire 585 3.6 445 2.7 375 2.2 335 1.9 605 3.5 
			 Angus 580 7.6 530 6.9 525 6.7 370 4.8 670 8.6 
			 Argyll and Bute 345 5.6 365 5.6 355 5.3 320 4.7 515 7.6 
			 Clackmannanshire 335 8.6 350 8.9 325 7.9 310 7.5 550 13.3 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 640 6.8 745 7.7 695 6.9 660 6.5 1,040 10.3 
			 Dundee City 1,100 6.2 1,165 6.6 1,035 5.9 930 5.3 1,420 8.1 
			 East Ayrshire 955 9.9 955 9.7 865 8.5 775 7.6 1,315 13.0 
			 East Dunbartonshire 280 3.2 315 3.6 305 3.4 245 2.8 485 5.5 
			 East Lothian 270 4.5 285 4.5 265 4.0 220 3.3 520 7.8 
			 East Renfrewshire 215 3.0 215 3.0 200 2.7 180 2.4 335 4.5 
			 Edinburgh, City of 1,670 2.9 1,875 3.2 1,705 2.9 1,420 2.4 2,525 4.3 
			 Eilean Siar 90 5.9 85 5.5 70 4.4 65 4.0 115 7.2 
			 Falkirk 850 7.1 870 7.3 785 6.5 690 5.7 1,275 10.6 
			 Fife 2,280 7.0 2,415 7.2 2,165 6.3 1,940 5.6 3,085 9.0 
			 Glasgow City 4,310 6.1 4,650 6.5 4,370 6.1 3,895 5.5 6,035 8.5 
			 Highland 835 5.9 820 5.7 715 4.8 605 4.1 1,130 7.6 
			 Inverclyde 670 9.2 670 9.1 660 8.9 600 8.1 795 10.7 
			 Midlothian 300 4.9 410 6.3 305 4.6 285 4.3 555 8.4 
			 Moray 305 4.7 400 6.2 340 5.1 330 4.9 500 7.5 
			 North Ayrshire 1,065 9.6 1,235 11.0 1,055 9.2 1,050 9.2 1,490 13.0 
			 North Lanarkshire 1,975 6.7 2,035 6.9 1,880 6.4 1,695 5.7 3,180 10.7 
			 Orkney Islands 45 3.8 50 4.0 50 3.9 20 1.5 55 4.3 
			 Perth and Kinross 395 4.2 440 4.1 445 3.8 280 2.4 565 4.8 
			 Renfrewshire 890 6.0 930 6.3 920 6.1 840 5.6 1,355 9.0 
			 Scottish Borders 310 4.6 365 5.2 330 4.5 300 4.1 630 8.7 
			 Shetland Islands 60 4.1 70 4.9 40 2.7 35 2.4 40 2.7 
			 South Ayrshire 600 7.1 680 7.9 540 6.1 485 5.5 865 9.8 
			 South Lanarkshire 1,400 5.3 1,530 5.8 1,405 5.2 1,240 4.6 2,405 9.0 
			 Stirling 335 3.9 340 3.6 310 3.2 265 2.7 565 5.9 
			 West Dunbartonshire 765 8.7 820 9.2 760 8.6 625 7.0 1,010 11.4 
			 West Lothian 750 5.6 815 6.0 845 6.0 785 5.5 1,390 9.8 
			
			 North East Fife parliamentary constituency 250 n/a 240 n/a 235 n/a 205 n/a 330 n/a 
			  Notes:  1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 5.  2. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.  3. Figures include clerically held cases.  4. Claimant count data are published at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk  Source:  100 per cent. count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems, and Population Estimates Unit, ONS.

Asbestos

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research the Government have funded into the consequences of long-term exposure to asbestos.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) maintains a longstanding and continuing programme of research into the health effects of asbestos exposure.
	Since 1968 the HSE has maintained the Great Britain Mesothelioma and Asbestosis Registers which document annual deaths from these conditions giving vital data for research.
	Since the early 1970s HSE has maintained a long term research study of more specific groups of workers in the British asbestos manufacturing industry, now including the current asbestos removals industry, to monitor their long term health status, in particular, their cancer and mortality rates, and to evaluate the effectiveness of legislation protecting their health.
	Most recently the HSE (with Cancer Research UK) commissioned Professor Julian Peto of the Institute of Cancer Research to measure the lung asbestos content in individuals with the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma, and those with and without it, including young men only potentially exposed more recently, to better assess the level of past exposure associated with disease and predict the future impact of current exposures. This follows HSE-funded research by Professor Peto on mesothelioma risk in specific occupations and from other potential sources of exposure.
	The programme enables the HSE to document and predict overall trends in the occurrence of key asbestos related diseases; identify changing patterns of occupational risk; monitor the long term health of those working in occupations covered by legislation on asbestos exposure at work; collate scientific information to improve knowledge about risk from different types of asbestos and at different exposures; and improve, and evaluate preventive measures.
	Further details of the HSE's research programme are available from the HSE website.

Departmental ICT

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated cost overrun is for each IT project being undertaken by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies which is subject to a cost overrun.

Jonathan R Shaw: Although the Department does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to, or new, IT to a greater or lesser extent. The following table includes:
	the projects and programmes currently on the Department's Portfolio where the IT element of the project or programme results in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business, and for which there is an anticipated cost overrun;
	the investment costs of the project or programme only. Costs of running the solutions implemented by the project are not included as in the vast majority of cases they are more than compensated for by the financial benefits they generate. The costs reported relate to the total project, not only the IT element, based on the full business case.
	
		
			  Table 1: Projects with cost overruns in current DWP IT Portfolio 
			  £ million 
			  Project  Lead - Department or Agency  Planned  c osts (i)  Estimated cost on completion (ii)  Cost overrun (iii) 
			 Central Payments System Department 140 179 39 
			 Customer Information System Pension, Disability and Carers Service 40 86 46 
			 Document Repository Service Pension, Disability and Carers Service 12 13 1

Employment and Support Allowance

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) benefits and  (b) other concessions are available to those eligible for the income-related employment support allowance; if he will make it his policy to adjust the payment of contributory employment support allowance to allow eligibility for income-related employment support allowance; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: People on income-related employment and support allowance are automatically passported to a range of support, including the maximum levels of housing benefit and council tax benefit, free prescriptions and dental care. In addition they are eligible for a wide range of help from the Social Fund.
	Customers in receipt of contributory Employment and Support Allowance only are not automatically entitled to passported benefits, but are able to apply separately, under low income schemes, for most benefits that are passported.
	We will continue to keep the policy under review.

Employment and Support Allowance: Telephone Services

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons his Department decided to use an 0845 telephone number for queries from applicants for employment and support allowance; what alternatives there are to the service; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 24 March 2009
	Inquiries about employment and support allowance use the same modem telephony infrastructure as do inquiries to other DWP services. This ensures that we can satisfy our customers' needs in an effective and efficient way.
	DWP's executive team agreed last year that initial calls to inquire about and claim benefit should be free, so we should use 0800 numbers to ensure that the most important—and longest—calls are free to the majority of our customers. Subsequent calls for other reasons, such as offering further information or progress on the claim, take less time to resolve and should be charged at a standard rate for the majority of customers, so we should use 0845 numbers.
	The telephony market is constantly changing but it would be unreasonable to expect customers to continually keep up with alterations to our telephone numbering in order to allow us to match the latest pricing by different service operators. Costs of calling 0845 numbers remain lower than many alternatives, but we keep the market under review. Using BT landlines to call 0845 numbers is usually the lowest cost option. BT account for two-thirds of landline provision and recent research shows that over 80 per cent. of our customers contact us using landlines. Therefore, we concluded that 0845 numbers offered the best solution for the majority of our customers. The Department receives no revenue from use of any of our numbers, including 0845.
	Alternatives to the service are for the customer to use the free phones provided in jobcentres to make inquiries. In the event the jobcentre does not have a free phone available, local arrangements are in place to provide the customer with the opportunity to use a standard Jobcentre Plus phone.
	Where a customer is unable to use a landline and asks for us to call them back we will always do so.

Employment Schemes

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance Jobcentre Plus has given to personal advisers on identifying employers eligible for payments under the employers' golden hello scheme announced by his Department on 12 January 2009; and if he will place in the Library a copy of such guidance.

Tony McNulty: All employers are eligible to claim the recruitment subsidy element of the six-month offer, announced on 12 January, as long as they agree to the terms and conditions for receiving the payment. A copy of these terms and conditions has been placed in the Library

Employment Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps his Department has taken to assist skilled long-term unemployed persons to gain access to re-training and new employment opportunities.

Tony McNulty: The Budget has made an additional £2.8 billion available to DWP, on top of the £1.3 billion funding announced in the pre-Budget report, which will ensure that over the next two years we can continue to expand our support to jobseekers through the economic downturn. Among other initiatives, this extra funding will enable us to guarantee a job or other meaningful activity to young people and certain disadvantaged groups from the 12-month point of their claim.
	The Government are investing £0.5 billion over two years to support people through an expanded range of work and training options to provide jobs through recruitment subsidies, support to start a business, work-related training and volunteering opportunities. This extra help was introduced on 6 April and is available to all those who have been out of work and claiming jobseeker's allowance for six months or more.
	Jobseeker's allowance customers can train for up to 16 hours per week alongside active job search. Jobseekers may also undertake up to two weeks of full-time training in any 12-month period, without jeopardising their benefit entitlements. Additionally, from 6 April, anyone who has been unemployed and claiming benefits for more than six months can study full time for up to eight weeks on a job-related training course approved by an employment adviser.
	The introduction of the flexible new deal in phase 1 areas from October will establish a new, unified approach for longer-term jobseekers, whatever their age, skills or barriers to work. The flexible new deal will deliver work-focused support, tailored to each individual's needs and local labour market requirements.

Foreign Workers

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were issued to adult  (a) non-UK EU nationals and  (b) non-EU nationals in the latest year for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 3 February 2009
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  National insurance number registrations to adult overseas nationals entering the UK, by quarter of registration and EU/non-EU status 
			  Thousand 
			   EU nationals  Non-EU nationals 
			 October 2007 to December 2007 108.29 76.67 
			 January 2008 to March 2008 110.83 80.93 
			 April 2008 to June 2008 100.68 74.65 
			 July 2008 to September 2008 101.93 65.26 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 and displayed in thousands. 2. There are a small number of registrations where citizens' nationalities are unknown, these are not included. 3. Registration date is derived from the date at which a national insurance number is entered on the National Insurance Recording System 4. When presenting the EU time series, countries which joined the EU during time series have been included in the EU for the whole of the time series, to facilitate comparisons over time. 5. Bulgaria and Romania are listed as EU accession states for the entire time series. The EU total includes the accession states. 6. The EU time series excludes national insurance numbers registered to UK nationals.  Source: 100 per cent. extract from National Insurance Recording System

Funeral Payments

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support his Department provides for payments for the funeral expenses for the late husband of a woman aged under 30 years old in full-time education with no household income; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: In order to be eligible to receive a funeral payment from the social fund in these circumstances, the woman must have an award of one of the qualifying benefits or tax credits in respect of the date of claim. The qualifying benefits and tax credits are:
	state pension credit;
	income support;
	income based jobseeker's allowance;
	income related employment and support allowance;
	housing benefit;
	council tax benefit;
	working tax credit that includes a disability or severe disability element;
	child tax credit at a rate higher than the family element.
	A funeral payment can be claimed from the date of death up until three months after the funeral.
	In addition, a surviving spouse or civil partner in the circumstances described may be entitled to claim one or more of the following benefits: bereavement payment—a lump sum payment of £2,000 payable immediately to help with costs arising on bereavement; widowed parent's allowance—a weekly benefit payable to widowed parents and surviving civil partners with responsibility for dependant child or children.
	Entitlement conditions for these bereavement benefits are based on the national insurance record of the late spouse or deceased civil partner. Bereavement benefits are payable to both men and women who satisfy the qualifying conditions.

Incapacity Benefit: Arthritis

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants had a recorded diagnosis which was or included rheumatoid arthritis in each of the last five years; and how much was paid in such benefits to such claimants in each of these years.

Jonathan R Shaw: Rheumatoid arthritis does not of itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits. Until October 2008 the medical assessment of incapacity for work was the personal capability assessment. This assesses the effects of a person's condition on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities relevant to work.
	The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimated incapacity benefits expenditure on claimants whose diagnosis includes rheumatoid arthritis (nominal terms) 
			   £ million 
			 2003-04 128 
			 2004-05 126 
			 2005-06 125 
			 2006-07 123 
			 2007-08 122 
			  Notes:  1. Incapacity benefits includes incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance payable to working-aged adults.  2. Figures also include incapacity related income support expenditure for incapacity benefit claimants. Expenditure figures are rounded to the nearest £ million.  3. Estimates are based on information from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study and published DWP benefit expenditure tables.  4. DWP benefit expenditure tables can be accessed at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp 
		
	
	
		
			  Estimated incapacity benefits caseloads of claimants whose diagnosis includes rheumatoid arthritis (nominal terms) 
			  As at August each year  All 
			 2004 29,010 
			 2005 28,040 
			 2006 27,100 
			 2007 25,780 
			 2008 24,710 
			  Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Causes of incapacity are based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, published by the World Health Organisation. 3. To qualify for incapacity benefit/severe disablement allowance, claimants have to undertake a medical assessment of incapacity for work called the personal capability assessment. Therefore, the medical condition recorded on the claim form does not itself confer entitlement to benefit.  Source:  DWP Longitudinal Study

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to the letter of 19 March 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Mr J. Harris.

Jonathan R Shaw: My right hon. Friend's letter of 19 March 2009 in respect of Mr. J. Harris was passed to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on 27 March 2009 as it concerned an area for which ministerial colleagues in that Department have responsibility. I apologise to my right hon. Friend for failing to keep him informed of this.

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Northavon of 17 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1038-39W, on pensioners: social security benefits, what estimate he has made of the number of people who would receive more in benefits payments if tariff income rules were abolished and upper capital limits were retained.

Rosie Winterton: With the abolition of tariff income rules for pension credit and housing benefit and council tax benefit (for those who have attained the qualifying age for pension credit) while keeping the current upper capital limits in housing benefit and council tax benefit, approximately 710,000 pensioner households would receive higher income-related benefits at a cost of approximately £560 million (2009-10 prices) per year.
	The tariff income rules are not intended to represent a rate of return that could be obtained from investing an individual's capital. They are a simple method of calculating the weekly contribution that customers with capital in excess of £6,000 are expected to make to their normal living costs.
	The Government believe it is right that people with capital should contribute towards their own living costs, and right that support is targeted on those that need it most. That is why the current rules ignore the first £6,000 of savings (£10,000 for those in care homes) and why those with savings above this are expected to contribute a small amount to their weekly expenses.
	In the 2009 Budget, the Chancellor announced that the capital threshold for pension credit (and housing benefit and council tax benefit for those who have attained the qualifying age for pension credit) will be increased from £6,000 to £10,000, bringing it into line with the threshold for those living permanently in care homes. This change will take effect from November 2009 and will allow these customers to retain up to £10,000 of capital before it affects their benefit. This change represents a generous increase in the capital thresholds for pension credit recipients and a significant simplification to the benefit. Half a million pensioners stand to gain from this change, with an average weekly gain across all benefits of £4.
	With these new capital rules, around 480,000 pensioner households would receive higher income-related benefits at a cost of approximately £440 million (2009-10 prices) per year from the abolition of tariff income rules referred to in the question.
	 Note:
	These estimates have been calculated using the Policy Simulation Model (PSM) which uses data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). Estimates are subject to sampling and modelling uncertainty.

Redundancy: Woolworths

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of staff made redundant by Woolworth  (a) accessed services and  (b) have found new work through the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service.

Tony McNulty: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Mel Groves. I have asked him to provide the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Mel Groves:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking, how many and what proportion of staff made redundant by Woolworth (a) accessed services and (b) found new work through the Jobcentre Plus rapid response service. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Staff in almost all of Woolworths' 800 or so stores were offered support through the Rapid Response Service (RRS) before store closure. We do not record specific numbers of employees who are given advice and support through RRS.
	We issued over 8,000 packs to enable people to make claims for benefit, and in many instances provided on-site advice on benefits. Our advice and support on jobsearch has also been available to Woolworths' employees, not just in the run up to store closure but afterwards.
	We do not attempt systematically to record job outcomes achieved for former employees of particular employers: to do so would be prohibitively expensive. Comprehensive information on the numbers of people made redundant from Woolworths who have found work through Jobcentre Plus is therefore unavailable. We have however noted many examples, throughout Britain of former Woolworths employees finding new jobs with Jobcentre Plus's help.

Social Security Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much and what proportion of the  (a) number and  (b) monetary value each type of benefit payments made in each year since 1997 was (i) overpaid and (ii) underpaid due to (A) customer error, (B) official error, (C) fraud and (D) other reasons.

Tony McNulty: The Department's strategy for measuring fraud and error focuses on providing estimates of the Monetary Value of Fraud and Error and does not provide estimates of the number of payments over or underpaid over a particular time period so this is not available. Estimates of the value and the percentage of expenditure for benefits that have been measured since1997 have been placed in the Library.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) received a caution and  (b) were convicted in respect of an offence of benefit fraud in each quarter of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of those convicted were dealt with by way of (i) a discharge, (ii) a fine, (iii) a community sentence, (iv) a suspended sentence, (v) a custodial sentence, (vi) a custodial sentence of more than six months and (vii) a custodial sentence of more than 12 months.

Tony McNulty: Information broken down by the length of the custodial sentence is not available.
	The available information for DWP administered benefits is in the following table.
	
		
			   Cautions  Convictions  Discharges  Fines  Community service  Suspended sentence  Custodial sentence 
			  2003-04
			 Q1 2,209 2,393 742 559 677 26 1— 
			 Q2 2,094 2,270 744 498 651 23 (1)— 
			 Q3 1,981 2,142 697 442 595 35 (1)— 
			 Q4 1,847 2,222 697 456 649 27 (1)— 
			 Total 8,131 9,027 2,880 1,955 2,572 111 590 
			 
			  2004-05
			 Q1 2,114 2,376 649 450 659 42 146 
			 Q2 2,472 2,219 648 426 619 35 181 
			 Q3 2,353 2,175 686 437 620 41 150 
			 Q4 3,058 2,449 669 441 593 30 124 
			 Total 9,997 9,219 2,652 1,754 2,491 148 601 
			 
			  2005-06
			 Q1 3,025 2,063 619 399 704 55 263 
			 Q2 2,488 2,126 629 333 718 59 263 
			 Q3 2,607 2,349 533 269 687 69 236 
			 Q4 2,423 2,202 660 347 818 92 157 
			 Total 10,543 8,740 2,441 1,348 2,927 275 919 
			 
			  2006-07
			 Q1 3,282 1,846 511 259 663 99 223 
			 Q2 3,221 1,770 424 196 689 156 146 
			 Q3 2,970 1,412 343 148 476 130 138 
			 Q4 2,503 1,833 456 225 587 145 109 
			 Total 11,976 6,861 1,734 828 2,415 530 616 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Q1 3,853 1,772 528 236 656 193 97 
			 Q2 3,914 2,200 557 238 742 257 105 
			 Q3 3,454 1,606 470 230 642 202 107 
			 Q4 1,600 2,167 652 257 740 309 213 
			 Total 12,821 7,745 2,207 961 2,780 961 522 
			 (1) Quarterly breakdown not available  Sources: 1. Conviction data for England and Wales from DWP/DH Legal Group. 2. Conviction data for Scotland from FIBS & FRAIMS. 3. Cautions data from FIBS & FRAIMS. 4. Discharges, Fines, Community Service, Suspended Sentence and Custodial Sentence 2003-04 to 2006-07 data from FIBS & FRAIMS. 5. 2007-08 Discharges, Fines, Community Service, Suspended Sentence and Custodial Sentence data from DWP/DH Legal Group. 
		
	
	The available information for housing benefit is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Fraud investigations  Cautions  Admin penalties  Prosecutions  Guilty verdicts 
			  2003-04  
			 Q1 42,184 1,142 752 863 710 
			 Q2 39,451 1,197 870 1,161 902 
			 Q3 36,459 1,326 1,002 1,252 1,055 
			 Q4 38,019 1,444 962 1,325 1,080 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Q1 40,369 1,216 897 1,159 1,026 
			 Q2 39,877 1,652 1,019 1,318 1,238 
			 Q3 38,548 1,711 1,184 1,320 1,165 
			 Q4 44,415 2,070 1,396 1,747 1,259 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Q1 45,704 1,925 1,264 1,595 1,443 
			 Q2 45,641 2,327 1,662 1,741 1,449 
			 Q3 48,423 2,087 1,502 1,799 1,542 
			 Q4 54,294 3,369 1,771 2,582 1,800 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Q1 39,893 2,075 1,268 1,389 1,454 
			 Q2 42,527 2,582 1,647 1,504 1,472 
			 Q3 41,958 2,637 1,750 1,521 1,373 
			 Q4 48,051 3,368 2,077 1,609 1,561 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 Q1 43,473 2,956 2,065 1,483 1,563 
			 Q2 46,606 3,627 2,392 1,767 1,673 
			 Q3 38,417 3,029 2,029 1,554 1,575 
			 Q4 32,278 2,957 1,930 1,807 1,682 
			  Source: Housing Benefit Operational Database (HOBOD) based on the local authority administrative return called "Stats 12".

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) received a caution and  (b) were convicted in respect of a benefit fraud offence in each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available; and how many of those convicted received a (i) discharge, (ii) fine, (iii) community sentence, (iv) suspended sentence and (v) custodial sentence.

Tony McNulty: holding answer  3 February 2009
	The available information for DWP administered benefits is in the following table:
	
		
			   Cautions  Convictions  Discharges  Fines  Community service  Suspended senten ce  Custodial sentence 
			  2006 -0 7
			 Q1 3,282 1,846 511 259 663 99 223 
			 Q2 3,221 1,770 424 196 689 156 146 
			 Q3 2,970 1,412 343 148 476 130 138 
			 Q4 2,503 1,833 456 225 587 145 109 
			 Total 11,976 6,861 1,734 828 2,415 530 616 
			 
			  2007-08
			 Q1 3,853 1,772 528 236 656 193 97 
			 Q2 3,914 2,200 557 238 742 257 105 
			 Q3 3,454 1,606 470 230 642 202 107 
			 Q4 1,600 2,167 652 257 740 309 213 
			 Total 12,821 7,745 2,207 961 2,780 961 522 
			  Note s : Discharges, fines, community service, suspended sentence and custodial sentence 2006-07 data from FIBS and FRAIMS. 2007-08 discharges, fines, community service, suspended sentence and custodial sentence data from DWP/DH Legal Group.  Source s : 1. Conviction data for England and Wales from DWP/DH Legal Group. 2. Conviction data for Scotland from FIBS and FRAIMS. 3. Cautions data from FIBS and FRAIMS. 
		
	
	The available information for housing benefit is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Fraud investigations  Cautions  Admin penalties  Prosecutions  Guilty verdicts 
			  2006 -0 7  
			 Q1 39,893 2,075 1,268 1,389 1,454 
			 Q2 42,527 2,582 1,647 1,504 1,472 
			 Q3 41,958 2,637 1,750 1,521 1,363 
			 Q4 48,051 3,368 2,077 1,609 1,561 
			   
			  2007-08  
			 Q1 43,473 2,956 2,065 1,483 1,563 
			 Q2 46,606 3,627 2,392 1,767 1,673 
			 Q3 38,417 3,029 2,029 1,554 1,575 
			 Q4 32,278 2,957 1,930 1,807 1,682 
			  Source: Housing benefit operational database (HOBOD) based on the local authority administrative return called 'Stats 124'.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) received a caution and  (b) were convicted in respect of an offence of benefit fraud in each quarter of the last year for which figures are available; and how many of those convicted were dealt with by way of (i) a discharge, (ii) a fine, (iii) a community sentence, (iv) a suspended sentence and (v) a custodial sentence.

Tony McNulty: holding answer  2 March 2009
	The available information for DWP administered benefits is in the following table:
	
		
			   Cautions  Convictions  Discharges  Fines  Community service  Suspended senten ce  Custodial sentence 
			  2007-08
			 Q1 3,853 1,772 528 236 656 193 97 
			 Q2 3,914 2,200 557 238 742 257 105 
			 Q3 3,454 1,606 470 230 642 202 107 
			 Q4 1,600 2,167 652 257 740 309 213 
			 Total 12,821 7,745 2,207 961 2,780 961 522 
			  Note: 2007-08 discharges, fines, community service, suspended sentence and custodial sentence data from DWP/DH Legal Group.  Source s : 1. Conviction data for England and Wales from DWP/DH Legal Group. 2. Conviction data for Scotland from FIBS and FRAIMS. 3. Cautions data from FIBS and FRAIMS. 
		
	
	The available information for housing benefit is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Fraud investigations  Cautions  Admin penalties  Prosecutions  Guilty verdicts 
			  2007-08  
			 Q1 43,473 2,956 2,065 1,483 1,563 
			 Q2 46,606 3,627 2,392 1,767 1,673 
			 Q3 38,417 3,029 2,029 1,554 1,575 
			 Q4 32,278 2,957 1,930 1,807 1,682 
			  Source: Housing benefit operational database (HOBOD) based on the local authority administrative return called 'Stats 124'.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were investigated for benefit fraud in each of the last three years; how many were subsequently  (a) cautioned and  (b) prosecuted and convicted; and how many of those convicted in each such year received (i) a custodial sentence, (ii) a community sentence and (iii) a discharge.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 5 March 2009
	The available information for DWP administered benefits is in the following table.
	
		
			   Total number  of investigation  Cautions  Number of  prosecuted  Convictions  Custodial sentence  Community sentence  Discharges 
			 2005-06 408,062 10,543 10,262 8,740 919 2,927 2,441 
			 2006-07 128,443 11,976 8,964 6,861 616 2,415 1,734 
			 2007-08 86,909 12,821 10,274 7,745 522 2,780 2,207 
			  Notes: 1. In April 2006 Jobcentre Plus reorganised its counter fraud resources into two new services. The Fraud Investigation Service was established, focussing on high value cases with a view to securing criminal sanctions including prosecutions. At the same time a customer compliance approach was deployed to deal with less serious cases more speedily with an emphasis on benefit correction, recovery of overpayments and warning customers on their future conduct. 2. The figures for 2006-07 reflect this with the number of investigations shown relating to criminal investigations only from this point. The number of customer compliance activities completed in 2006-07 and 2007-08 were 290,476 and 371,592 respectively.  Sources: Prosecution and Conviction data for England and Wales from DWP/DH Legal Group Prosecution and Conviction data for Scotland from FIBS and FRAIMS Investigations, Cautions, Discharges, Community Service and Custodial Sentence data: 2005-07 from FIBS and FRAIMS Discharges, Community Service and Custodial Sentence data for 2007-08 from DWP/DH Legal Group. 
		
	
	The available information for housing benefit is provided in the following table
	
		
			   Fraud investigations  Cautions  Admin penalties  Prosecutions  Guilty verdicts. 
			 2005-06 194,062 9,708 6,199 6,041 6,234 
			 2006-07 172,429 10,662 6,742 6,023 5,860 
			 2007-08 160,774 12,569 8,416 6,611 6,493 
			  Source: Housing Benefit Operational Database (HOBOD) based on the local authority administrative return called 'Stats 124'

State Retirement Pensions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of adults are in receipt of a state retirement pension.

Rosie Winterton: We estimate that 23 per cent. of all adults in Great Britain in 2008 are in receipt of a state pension.
	Of those who are at state pension age or above, 95 per cent. are estimated to be in receipt of a state pension.
	 Notes:
	Definitions: an adult is someone aged 18 or over.
	 Sources:
	Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, May 2008 and ONS population projections.

Unemployed: Social Security Benefits

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to page 92 of the Pre-Budget Report 2008, to what areas the £1.3 billion funding to deliver support for the unemployed has been allocated; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The pre-Budget report allocated an additional £1.3 billion over CSR07 to help to deliver effective support to unemployed people. This provides additional money to Jobcentre Plus, contracted employment providers and local authorities.
	This money is providing 6,000 additional staff in Jobcentre Plus in 2009-10, and is also being used to implement the additional measures that were announced in the pre-Budget report, the expansion of Local Employer Partnerships and the further expansion of Jobcentre Plus' Rapid Response Service, and to provide a new package of support aimed at jobseekers that have recently become unemployed and have no recent experience of current job search channels.

Unemployment Benefits

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to use the broad definition of work-related activity contained in the Gregg review in regulations to be made under the Welfare Reform Bill if enacted.

Tony McNulty: We are not planning to define the term 'work-related activity' in regulations under the Welfare Reform Bill. We are keen to ensure that the term work-related activity can be interpreted flexibly so it can be tailored to an individual's needs. This will allow the customer in conjunction with their personal adviser to agree activities that are tailored to their individual circumstances and will best help them move closer to work. As Professor Gregg suggested, work-related activity could include training, skills and job-related support as well as wider measures such as volunteering, undertaking parenting programmes or visiting a debt adviser.
	We will be using this wide concept of work-related activity as a basis for producing guidance for personal advisers to help them decide which activities will best assist their customers to move closer to the labour market. We will continue to involve stakeholders in the design of the Progression to Work Pathfinders.

Vacancies

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of vacancies of positions offering 30 hours or more employment a week notified to jobcentres in each of the last 12 months.

Tony McNulty: Information is not held on the number of vacancies offering 30 hours or more a week, notified to Jobcentre Plus offices in the last 12 months.
	Information is available on the number of vacancies offering 16 hours or more a week, notified to Jobcentre Plus offices in the last 12 months and is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Vacancies, 16 hours or more a week, in Great Britain, notified to Jobcentre Plus offices, April 2008 to March 2009 
			   Notified vacancies 
			 April 2008 269,080 
			 May 2008 261,398 
			 June 2008 315,535 
			 July 2008 239,939 
			 August 2008 307,295 
			 September 2008 264,471 
			 October 2008 265,085 
			 November 2008 269,955 
			 December 2008 170,535 
			 January 2009 85,486 
			 February 2009 219,302 
			 March 2009 170,403 
			  Notes:  1. Data are unrounded.  2. These are not whole economy figures. Coverage relates just to vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and as such the figures represent a market share of vacancies throughout the whole economy. This proportion varies over time, according to the occupation of the vacancy and industry of the employer, and by local area. Comprehensive estimates of all job vacancies (not just those notified to Jobcentre Plus) are available from the monthly ONS Vacancy Survey since April 2001, based on a sample of some 6,000 enterprises. However, the ONS survey is currently designed to provide national estimates only.  3. These figures are published at www.nomisweb.co.uk.  Source:  Jobcentre Plus Labour Market System.

Wedgwood: Pensions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had on the pensions of the Waterford Wedgwood workers.

Rosie Winterton: There have been no specific discussions relating to Waterford Wedgwood workers pensions.
	The Pension Protection Fund has received formal notifications from insolvency practitioners in respect of various companies in the Waterford Wedgwood group. It is currently working with the Trustees to determine if the associated pension schemes qualify for entry into a PPF assessment period.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Protection

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effect of reductions in the family legal aid budget on the Government's ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.

Shahid Malik: I have been asked to reply.
	The consultation, 'Family Legal Aid Funding from 2010', was published by my Department and the Legal Services Commission on 17 December 2008. The consultation paper was accompanied by a detailed impact assessment which considered the impact of the changes on lawyers and the public.
	The consultation proposed that in future the provision of guardians ad litem for children separately represented in family proceedings would be solely the responsibility of the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS), and could no longer be considered a legal aid disbursement. This is because these are not legal expenses. The proposal was put forward following discussions with CAFCASS, who confirmed that subject to suitable resources being available they agreed with the point in principle. The consultation responses are now being analysed since the close of the consultation on 3 April. We will have further discussions with the Legal Services Commission, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and CAFCASS, in the light of the evaluation, to agree a response to the consultation.

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students in post-16 education in  (a) the London Borough of Bexley and  (b) England are in receipt of education maintenance allowance.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Geoffrey Russell the LSC's Acting Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the  (a) level of take up and  (b) cost of the education maintenance allowance in each of the next five years.

Jim Knight: We estimate that nearly half of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in full-time education will take up EMA, and all of those on the Entry to Employment programme.
	The budget allocations for the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the current comprehensive spending review (CSR) period are: 2009/10 £529 million and 2010/11 £529 million. Forecasts of expenditure and take-up beyond the current CSR period are not currently available.
	Budget 2009 provided funding for an additional 54,500 learners over and above the numbers to be funded from the CSR budget, a high proportion of these are expected to be eligible for EMA. These learners will be funded in the academic years 2009/10 and 2010/11.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people are in receipt of education maintenance allowance; and what estimate he has made of the expenditure incurred by his Department on the provision of such allowances in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) who operate the education maintenance allowance (EMA) for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Geoffrey Russell the LSC's acting chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Education: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many qualifications have been considered for approval by the Joint Advisory Council for Qualifications in each month for which data are available; how many of these qualifications were (a) rejected and  (b) accepted; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Joint Advisory Committee for Qualifications Approval (JACQA) has met twice: on 3 December 2008 and 19 March 2009.
	Two newly-accredited "standalone" qualifications were considered at the December meeting. The committee recommended that both should be approved as eligible for public funding, on the basis that they satisfied the Section 96 criteria.
	44 standalone qualifications were reviewed at the second meeting of JACQA in March. Recommendations were made in favour of funding nine qualifications, and against approval in the case of one qualification, which the committee did not feel had satisfied the Section 96 criteria. 34 qualifications were referred back to awarding organisations where there was insufficient evidence to judge if the criteria had been met.
	The Secretary of State has accepted all of JACQA's recommendations to date.

GCSE

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many pupils achieved grade C or higher in GCSE physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2008;
	(2)  how many pupils achieved grade C or higher in GCSE English Literature, English and mathematics in  (a) 1997,  (b) 2003 and  (c) 2008;
	(3)  how many pupils achieved six or more GCSEs including grade C or higher in mathematics, English, English Literature, double award science or all three separate sciences and history in 2008.

Jim Knight: The answers to these questions are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Question  1997( 1)  2003( 1)  2008( 1) 
			  274318
			 Number of pupils attaining A*-C in four or more GCSEs including physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics 26,594 31,670 53,625 
			 
			  274319
			 Number of pupils attaining A*-C in three or more GCSEs including English, English literature and mathematics 196,263 248,632 276,681 
			 
			  274320
			 Number of pupils attaining A*-C in six or more GCSEs including English, English literature, mathematics, history and either physics, chemistry and biology or double award science — — 24,597 
			 (1) Prior to 2005, figures are based on 15-year-old pupils whereas in subsequent years figures are based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.  Source: The Achievement and Attainment Tables' database

Havering Sixth Form College

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding his Department has allocated to Havering Sixth Form College for  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Jim Knight: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) hold the information you have requested. Geoffrey Russell, the LSC's acting chief executive, will write to the hon. Member. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Schools: Complaints

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what mechanisms exist for parents to complain about the standard of teaching in a school; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Since 1 September 2003, governing bodies of all maintained schools and maintained nursery schools in England have been required, under section 29 of the Education Act 2002, to have in place a procedure to deal with complaints relating to the school and any community facilities or services that the school provides. The law also requires the procedure to be publicised. Parents may also approach Ofsted, which has powers to investigate and if necessary conduct an inspection of the school. In addition, parents' views are sought and considered as part of all school inspections.

Schools: Information and Communications Technology

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the number of computers in primary schools in  (a) the London Borough of Bexley and  (b) Greater London.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect the information requested.

Schools: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools have been taken into special measures more than once since 1997.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HMCI Christine Gilbert will be replying and a copy will be placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 24 April 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	Between 1 September 1997 and 31 December 2008, 1,940 maintained schools were placed in special measures once, and 67 schools were placed in special measures more than once, including one school that had been placed in special measures three times. This school has now closed.
	Of the 67 schools that required special measures a second time, five remained in special measures at their re-inspection without ever being removed from this category. They are included at the foot of the list. Data for the spring term 2009 have not yet been published and are not included in these figures.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to the right hon. Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Schools placed in special measures more than once between 1 September 1997 and 31 December 2008 
			  URN  School  LA  Still open/closed 
			 130340 Monteagle Primary School Barking and Dagenham Open 
			 103309 Primrose Hill Community School Birmingham Open 
			 101526 Chalkhill Primary School Brent Open 
			 132008 Burwood School Bromley Open 
			 110492 Quarrendon School Buckinghamshire Open 
			 107532 Mount Pellon Junior and Infant School Calderdale Open 
			 110857 St. Andrew's CofE Community VA Junior School Cambridgeshire Closed 
			 109747 Oak Bank School Central Bedfordshire Open 
			 109139 Badocks Wood Primary School City of Bristol Open 
			 112390 The Morton School Cumbria Closed 
			 112558 Langley MILL Junior School Derbyshire Open 
			 112937 Deincourt Community School Derbyshire Open 
			 113373 Bridgerule Church of England Primary School Devon Open 
			 106781 North Doncaster Technology College Doncaster Open 
			 115604 Finlay Community School Gloucestershire Closed 
			 115817 Cam House School Gloucestershire Open 
			 100240 Sebright School Hackney Open 
			 116233 Park Primary School Hampshire Open 
			 115995 Shepherds Spring Junior School Hampshire Closed 
			 130325 Waite End Primary School Hampshire Open 
			 115838 The Bridge Education Centre Hampshire Open 
			 102449 Abbotsfield School Hillingdon Open 
			 102557 Syon Park School Hounslow Closed 
			 118259 Northcourt Primary School Kent Closed 
			 118724 St. Barnabas CofE VA Primary School Kent Open 
			 118925 Montgomery School Kent Closed 
			 107759 Fartown High School Kirklees Open 
			 119998 Queensmead Junior School Leicester City Closed 
			 120087 Beaumont Lodge Primary School Leicester City Open 
			 120687 Hartsholme Primary School Lincolnshire Open 
			 104595 Childwall Valley Primary School Liverpool Closed 
			 109425 Orchard Centre Luton Open 
			 105548 Saviour CofE Primary School Manchester Open 
			 102669 St. Teresas Catholic Primary School Merton Open 
			 110532 The Radcliffe School Milton Keynes Open 
			 108520 Gosforth Junior High School Newcastle Upon Tyne Open 
			 120906 Fairstead Community Primary School Norfolk Open 
			 121211 Costessey High School Norfolk Open 
			 117953 Strand Junior School North East Lincolnshire Closed 
			 122154 The Orchard School Northamptonshire Closed 
			 121928 Sunnyside Primary School Northamptonshire Open 
			 122325 West Sleekburn Middle School Northumberland Open 
			 122438 St. Ann's Well Junior School Nottingham City Closed 
			 123083 Thameside Primary School Oxfordshire Open 
			 109777 Battle Primary School Reading Open 
			 106011 New Park High School Salford Open 
			 103914 Burnt Tree Primary School Sandwell Open 
			 110077 Langleywood School Slough Closed 
			 100797 John Donne Primary School Southwark Open 
			 100806 Peckham Rye Primary School Southwark Closed 
			 124854 Kirkley Middle School Suffolk Open 
			 124976 St. Francis, Westborough Community Primary School Surrey Closed 
			 114900 Chadwell St. Mary Primary School Thurrock Open 
			 100887 Alice Model Nursery School Tower Hamlets Open 
			 104165 Beechdale Primary School Walsall Closed 
			 103040 Church Mead Junior School Waltham Forest Closed 
			 130873 Acorns Primary School Warwickshire Open 
			 126489 Ludgershall Castle Primary School Wiltshire Open 
			 116751 Worcester, Dines Green Primary School Worcestershire Open 
			 116771 Worcester, Elbury Mount Primary School Worcestershire Closed 
			 131491 Redgrave School Worcestershire Closed 
			 116710 Malvern Hills Primary School Worcestershire Closed 
			 
			 107364 Rhodesway School Bradford Open 
			 107228 Usher Street Bradford Closed 
			 108473 Montagu Community Full Service School Newcastle Upon Tyne Closed 
			 133267 Sherwood Hall School and Sixth Form College Nottinghamshire Closed 
			 125272 Thomas Knyvett College Surrey Open

Schools: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils attended schools which were taken into special measures for the first time in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HMCI Christine Gilbert will be replying and a copy will be placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 28 April 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	Table A shows the number of schools placed in special measures for the first time in each academic year since 1997/98, and the number of pupils attending these schools in that year, according to the Department for Children, Schools and Families' School Census, taken in January of each year. Schools for which Schools Census data are not available have been excluded from the analysis.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of pupils attending schools placed in special measures for the first time in each academic year since 1997/98 
			  Academic year  Number of schools placed in special measures for the first time  Number of pupils in schools placed in special measures for the first time 
			 1997/98 291 83,939 
			 1998/99 194 53,958 
			 1999/2000 229 70,350 
			 2000/01 136 42,908 
			 2001/02 123 39,009 
			 2002/03 155 51,609 
			 2003/04 204 84,917 
			 2004/05 95 43,136 
			 2005/06 161 59,730 
			 2006/07 172 55,023 
			 2007/08 129 52,367 
		
	
	A copy of this reply has been sent to the right hon. Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.

Schools: Standards

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  which 15 local authorities have the  (a) most and  (b) highest proportion of schools assessed as inadequate by Ofsted;
	(2)  which 15 local authorities have the  (a) most and  (b) highest proportion of special schools assessed as inadequate by Ofsted.

Jim Knight: The following tables (1-4) provide the information requested. Figures are based on the most recent data published by Ofsted (31 December 2008) and relate to the inadequate categories of special measures and significant improvement.
	Table 3 lists all of the local authorities that had any special schools in one of the categories of special measures or significant improvement at 31 December 2008. Figures for the number of pupil referral units in Ofsted categories are provided separately in Table 4.
	
		
			  Table 1:  15 local authorities with most numbers of schools in Ofsted categories—31 December 2008 
			  LA area  Ofsted category  Primary  Pupil referral unit  Secondary  Special  Total 
			 Northamptonshire SM 12 — 2 — 14 
			  SI/NTI 5 — 1 — 6 
			 Birmingham SM 7 — — — 7 
			  SI/NTI 6 — 6 — 12 
			 Lancashire SM 3 — 3 1 7 
			  SI/NTI 8 — 3 — 11 
			 Hampshire SM 4 2 — — 6 
			  SI/NTI 6 — 1 1 8 
			 Norfolk SM 8 1 2 — 11 
			  SI/NTI 1 — 1 — 2 
			 Sheffield SM 2 — 2 — 4 
			  SI/NTI 6 — 1 — 7 
			 Bradford SM 3 — 1 — 4 
			  SI/NTI 3 — 3 — 6 
			 Devon SM 4 — — — 4 
			  SI/NTI 3 — 2 1 6 
			 Kent SM 3 — — — 3 
			  SI/NTI 4 — 2 — 6 
			 Leicester City SM 4 — 1 — 5 
			  SI/NTI 3 1 — — 4 
			 Cheshire SM 3 — — — 3 
			  SI/NTI 4 — 1 — 5 
			 Croydon SM 3 — — — 3 
			  SI/NTI 3 — 2 — 5 
			 Cumbria SM 1 1 3 — 5 
			  SI/NTI 2 — 1 — 3 
			 Nottinghamshire SM 4 — 1 — 5 
			  SI/NTI 2 — 1 — 3 
			 Leeds SM 1 — 1 1 3 
			  SI/NTI 2 — 2 — 4 
			 England SM 155 11 53 12 231 
			  SI/NTI 156 3 69 4 232 
			  Notes:  1. SM is special measures. 2. SI/NTI is significant improvement with a notice to improve. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2:  15 local authorities with highest proportions of primary and secondary schools in Ofsted categories—31 December 2008 
			  LA  Number of primary schools  Number of primary schools in SM  Number of primary schools with SI/NTI  Number of maintained secondary schools  Number of secondary schools in SM  Number of secondary schools with SI/NTI  Total primary and secondary schools  Total primary and secondary schools in a category  %  of schools in a category 
			 Greenwich 65 1 5 13 0 1 78 7 9.0 
			 Merton 43 2 1 6 0 1 49 4 8.2 
			 Leicester City 81 4 3 17 1 0 98 8 8.2 
			 Croydon 89 3 3 20 0 2 109 8 7.3 
			 Sheffield 135 2 6 25 2 1 160 11 6.9 
			 Northamptonshire 264 12 5 39 2 1 303 20 6.6 
			 Southwark 71 4 1 8 0 0 79 5 6.3 
			 Warrington 70 3 2 12 0 0 82 5 6.1 
			 Kingston upon Hull 71 1 0 14 1 3 85 5 5.9 
			 Medway 85 0 4 19 1 1 104 6 5.8 
			 Bournemouth 27 0 2 10 0 0 37 2 5.4 
			 Poole 28 1 0 9 0 1 37 2 5.4 
			 Bradford 158 3 3 27 1 3 185 10 5.4 
			 Bromley 76 2 3 17 0 0 93 5 5.4 
			 Bexley 59 3 0 16 1 0 75 4 5.3 
			 England — — — — — — 20,500 433 2.1 
			  Notes: 1. SM is special measures. 2. SI/NTI is significant improvement with a notice to improve. 3. Number of schools based on January 2008 final data published by DCSF in July 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 :  Number and proportion of special schools in Ofsted categories—31 December 2008 
			  LA area  Ofsted category  Phase  Special schools in Ofsted categories  Total maintained and non maintained special Schools in LA  % of schools in Ofsted categories 
			 Redcar and Cleveland SM Spec — 3 33 
			 Bromley SM Spec — 4 25 
			 Telford and Wrekin SM Spec — 4 25 
			 Wigan SM Spec 2 8 25 
			 Knowsley SM Spec — 7 14 
			 Leeds SM Spec — 7 14 
			 Manchester SM and SI/NTI Spec 2 14 14 
			 Somerset SM Spec — 8 13 
			 Devon SI/NTI Spec — 13 8 
			 Gloucestershire SM Spec — 13 8 
			 Hampshire SI/NTI Spec — 27 4 
			 Lancashire SM Spec — 31 3 
			 England SM and SI/NTI Spec 16 1,065 2 
			  Notes: 1. There were 2 non-maintained special schools in Ofsted categories at 31 December 2008. 2. SM is special measures. 3. SI/NTI is significant improvement with a notice to improve. 4. Number of schools based on January 2008 final data published by DCSF in July 2008. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4 :  Number and proportion of pupil referral units in Ofsted categories—31 December 2008 
			  LA area  Ofsted category  Phase  PRUs in Ofsted categories  Total PRUs in LA  % of PRUs in Ofsted categories 
			 Bath and NE Somerset SM PRU — 1 100 
			 Darlington SI/NTI PRU — 1 100 
			 Leicestershire SM PRU — 1 100 
			 Poole SM PRU — 1 100 
			 Leicester City SI/NTI PRU — 2 50 
			 Cumbria SM PRU — 3 33 
			 Hounslow SI/NTI PRU — 3 33 
			 Walsall SM PRU 1 3 33 
			 West Sussex SM PRU 1 3 33 
			 Hampshire SM PRU 2 7 29 
			 Havering SM PRU 1 4 25 
			 Norfolk SM PRU 1 5 20 
			 Staffordshire SM PRU 1 6 17 
			 England SM and SI/NTI PRU 14 455 3 
			  Notes:  1. SM is special measures. 2. SI/NTI is significant improvement with a notice to improve. 3. Number of schools based on January 2008 final data published by DSCF in July 2008.

Science: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children in  (a) independent schools,  (b) comprehensive schools,  (c) special schools,  (d) pupil referral units and  (e) other schools took GCSEs in (i) science, (ii) science and additional science and (iii) separate science subjects in 2008.

Jim Knight: The requested information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  N umber of GCSE entries by pupils at the end of KS4 in science subjects, by school-type in 2008 
			   Subject  (a) Independent( 1)  (b) Comprehensive  (c) Special schools( 2)  (d) Pupil referral Units( 3)  (e) Other schools( 4)  All schools 
			 (i) Core science 20,054 432,711 2,112 1,312 35,408 491,597 
			 
			 (ii) Core science plus additional science 18,193 307,177 230 50 25,966 351,616 
			 
			 (iii) Physics 14,414 41,094 13 15 11,785 67,321 
			  Chemistry 14,968 41,564 17 11 11,729 68,289 
			  Biology 15,778 46,116 25 124 12,611 74,654 
			 (1) Independent mainstream schools only. (2) Special schools include independent special schools. (3) Pupil referral units excluding hospital schools. (4) Other schools include selective, modern and other maintained schools.  Note: Vocational GCSE entries in Applied Science are not included in this answer.

Secondary Education: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent steps the Government has taken to support pupils taking  (a) A-level and  (b) GCSE examinations in Coventry.

Jim Knight: Recent improvements in A-level achievement in Coventry are particularly encouraging. The following figures(1) show that Coventry pupils' achievements have improved between 2006(2) and 2008 compared with the average improvement for England, both in terms of the average point score per student at A-level and in the average point score achieved per A-level exam.
	(1) Source:
	The published Achievement and Attainment Tables 2008.
	(2) Comparisons with earlier years are not possible because of changes in the points awarded for particular examinations and grades in 2005/06.
	
		
			   Average point score per student  Change  Average point score per exam  Change 
			   2006  2007  2008  2006 to 2008  2006  2007  2008  2006 to 2008 
			 England average 721.5 731.2 740 18.5 206.2 207.5 209.4 3.2 
			 Coventry average 624.5 660.7 678.2 53.7 196.6 199.6 203.9 7.3 
		
	
	We have put in place a programme of work force support in 2009-10 delivered by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service for managers and practitioners in all areas of the country, including Coventry. This includes support aimed at developing examination centres' understanding of changes to A-levels, and promoting and sharing effective practice between centres.
	
		
			  Percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C GCSE and 5+ A*-C GCSE including English and maths 
			  Percentage 
			   1997( 1)  2008( 2)   
			   5 A*-C  5 A*-C including English and maths  5 A*-C  5 A*-C including English and maths  +/-change (percentage points) since 1997 5 A*-C  +/-change (percentage points) since 1997 5 A*-C including English and maths 
			 National 45.1 35.6 65.3 47.6 +20.2 +12 
			 Coventry 36.9 27.1 60.8 41.8 +23.9 +14.7 
			 (1) 15-year-old pupils. (2) End of key stage 4 pupils. 
		
	
	As the table above shows, we have made substantial progress in raising GCSE attainment in secondary schools over the last 10 years. Although the rate of progress in the number of pupils achieving five or more good GCSEs in Coventry has exceeded national rates over the same period, more is needed to reduce the gap in attainment still further. Under the National Challenge, the Department is providing wide-ranging support to eight of the authority's schools this year. The National Challenge supports schools with the lowest GCSE results, so that by 2011 in every secondary school at least 30 per cent. of students will achieve at least five GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths.
	The National Strategies also provides support to schools in Coventry and this includes support and challenge in relation to school improvement, English, maths, science, behaviour and attendance, SEN and ethnic minority achievement. The strategies have also supported the provision and delivery of city-side GCSE English and maths revision courses (held at the Ricoh stadium) for year 11 pupils (April 2009).

Sixth Form Education: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which official in his Department was first informed of the contents of the letter of 2 March 2009 from the Learning and Skills Council to school sixth forms and sixth form colleges regarding funding.

Jim Knight: It is not customary to identify a civil servant by name.

Social Services: Children

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much each unitary local authority allocated per head of population for children's services in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10.

Jim Knight: The available information on how much was allocated by each unitary local authority for children's services per head of population in 2008-09 is shown in the table. Information for 2009-10 is currently being collated and validated. It will not be available until later in 2009.
	
		
			  Total net budget for unitary local authorities in England covering education, community, youth justice and children and young people's services 2008-09 
			  Local authority name  £  £ per head 
			 England 40,192,236,000 3,690 
			
			 Unitary LAs 6,617,603,000 3,680 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 126,044,000 3,670 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 138,470,000 3,570 
			 Blackpool 109,753,000 3,650 
			 Bournemouth 106,990,000 3,740 
			 Bracknell Forest 82,532,000 3,220 
			 Brighton and Hove 184,198,000 4,040 
			 Bristol 275,311,000 3,560 
			 Darlington 72,261,000 3,360 
			 Derby 192,773,000 3,680 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 240,669,000 3,550 
			 Halton 102,069,000 3,760 
			 Hartlepool 83,044,000 3,940 
			 Herefordshire 116,741,000 3,240 
			 Isle of Wight 104,948,000 3,810 
			 Kingston upon Hull 220,154,000 4,140 
			 Leicester 259,716,000 3,930 
			 Luton 175,472,000 3,810 
			 Medway 221,706,000 3,700 
			 Middlesbrough 104,980,000 3,420 
			 Milton Keynes 208,953,000 3,850 
			 North East Lincolnshire 125,836,000 3,530 
			 North Lincolnshire 120,031,000 3,460 
			 North Somerset 137,674,000 3,290 
			 Nottingham 240,871,000 4,440 
			 Peterborough 158,971,000 4,140 
			 Plymouth 203,149,000 4,120 
			 Poole 96,008,000 3,630 
			 Portsmouth 134,061,000 3,540 
			 Reading 98,245,000 3,550 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 115,326,000 3,840 
			 Rutland 23,981,000 2,860 
			 Slough 126,570,000 4,590 
			 South Gloucestershire 186,083,000 3,300 
			 Southampton 152,723,000 3,610 
			 Southend-on-Sea 145,047,000 4,200 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 151,006,000 3,560 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 179,851,000 3,620 
			 Swindon 141,378,000 3,480 
			 Telford and the Wrekin 124,939,000 3,210 
			 Thurrock 120,832,000 3,450 
			 Torbay 99,058,000 3,730 
			 Warrington 145,950,000 3,410 
			 West Berkshire 130,289,000 3,890 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 102,422,000 3,250 
			 Wokingham 117,547,000 3,420 
			 York 112,970,000 3,250 
			  Notes : 1. The figures for the total net budget covering education, community, youth justice and children and young people's services are drawn from local authorities' 2008-09 Children, Schools and Families Financial Data Collection (Budget Table 1 line 8) submitted to the DCSF. Figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and may not sum due to rounding. 2. The per head figures are calculated by dividing the total net budget by the projected population aged 0 to 17 in each LA. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 and may not sum due to rounding.

Special Educational Needs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils with special educational needs attended mainstream schools assessed by Ofsted as inadequate in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 30 April 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	Table A shows how many pupils with and without special educational needs attended mainstream schools (including nursery, primary and secondary schools and excluding special schools and pupil referral units) that were in special measures at the end of each academic year since 1997/98. Table B shows these figures as percentages.
	Special measures is an Ofsted category, defined in the Education Act 2005, meaning that a school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement. Please be aware that the framework for inspecting maintained schools changed in September 2005. As a result, there has been no consistent 'inadequate' category over this period. These tables are, therefore, limited to those maintained schools placed in special measures, as this category has been in place throughout the period in question.
	Pupil numbers have been calculated using information from the Department for Children, Schools and Families' School Census (pupil-level) on pupils registered at one school only, and on pupils registered at two schools, but using their main school as recorded on the census, taken in January of each year.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Rt Hon Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.
	
		
			  Table A: Number of pupils with and without special educational needs, attending nursery, primary and secondary schools which were in special measures at the end of each academic year since 1997/98 
			   Number of pupils in schools placed in special measures 
			   With special educational needs  Without special educational needs  Total 
			 1997/98 42,450 107,283 149,733 
			 1998/99 36,069 93,433 129,502 
			 1999/2000 36,069 87,855 123,924 
			 2000/01 30,933 76,441 107,374 
			 2001/02 23,206 68,068 91,274 
			 2002/03 21,112 70,928 92,040 
			 2003/04 29,985 99,611 129,596 
			 2004/05 24,460 82,212 106,672 
			 2005/06 19,856 66,929 86,785 
			 2006/07 20,505 63,768 84,273 
			 2007/08 21,372 64,504 85,876 
			  Note: Figures are based on School Census (pupil level) data from the Department for Children, Schools and Families. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Percentage of pupils with and without special educational needs, attending nursery, primary and secondary schools which were in special measures at the end of each academic year since 1997/98 
			   Percentage of pupils in schools placed in special measures 
			   With special educational needs  Without special educational needs  Total 
			 1997/98 28 72 100 
			 1998/99 28 72 100 
			 1999/2000 29 71 100 
			 2000/01 29 71 100 
			 2001/02 25 75 100 
			 2002/03 23 77 100 
			 2003/04 23 77 100 
			 2004/05 23 77 100 
			 2005/06 23 77 100 
			 2006/07 24 76 100 
			 2007/08 25 75 100 
			  Note: Figures are based on School Census (pupil level) data from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Teachers

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school teachers have worked in (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three or more schools in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The information is not collected centrally.

Teachers: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the administration costs of the Teachers' Pension Scheme were in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Following a competitive tendering exercise, a seven year contract for the administration of the Teachers' Pension Scheme was awarded to Capita in 1996 . The contract value was £70 million. The contract was re-tendered at the end of the first contract period and Capita was awarded a new seven year contract in October 2003. The value of this contract is £62 million. In both contracts, payments were spread evenly across the contract period.

Teachers: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what guidance the Teachers' Pension Scheme issues on enhancements under the scheme for teaching staff who are members of the scheme and  (a) are made redundant,  (b) take early retirement other than on grounds of ill health and  (c) take early retirement on grounds of ill health;
	(2)  what his policy is on the size of redundancy payments for teaching staff; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) is governed by the Teachers' Pensions Regulations 1997 (as amended) which provide for payment of enhanced benefits in circumstances where a person is entitled to ill-health retirement benefits and their ability to undertake any form of gainful employment is severely impaired. These regulations also enable an employer to award premature retirement benefits to teachers whose employment has been terminated on grounds of redundancy or in the interests of the efficient discharge of the employer's functions. The regulations contain no provision for employers to award enhanced premature retirement benefits from the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
	Provision for employers to enhance premature retirement benefits up to prescribed maxima is contained in the Teachers (Compensation for Redundancy and Premature Retirement) Regulations 1997 (as amended).
	These regulations also enable employers to award redundancy payments that exceed the minimum payable under employment law. All payments made under these regulations are met in full by the employer and it is for each employer to determine the circumstances when payments are made to individuals and to be satisfied that the payments do not exceed the prescribed limits.

Teachers: Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the cost of pension payments to teaching staff who have taken early retirement between the date of their retirement and the date they reached the Teachers' Pension Scheme normal retirement age was in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Teachers' Pension Scheme (England and Wales) is a statutory scheme and pension payments are determined in line with regulations. Under those regulations, there are no additional scheme costs resulting from cases where teachers retire early other than where retirement is on the grounds of ill health where unreduced, and sometimes enhanced, benefits are put into payment.
	In all other cases of early retirement, benefits payable from the Teachers' Pension Scheme are automatically reduced to take account of the fact that they are put into payment before the scheme's normal pension age and therefore have the same actuarial value as if they had been paid at normal pension age.
	The Department has been working alongside employers and the teacher representative groups to seek to improve the care and support afforded to ill teachers, and thereby reduce rates of ill health retirement.

Young People: Nutrition

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to help young people understand the nutritional content of packaged foods; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: All secondary school students have an entitlement to undertake the 'Licence to Cook' programme. Included in the programme is a module 'Wise food shopping' where young people gain an understanding of food labelling and nutritional content of food they might buy (including packaged foods) within the context of making informed choices.
	Such knowledge is also applied through the practical work that the students undertake, for example comparing a homemade lasagne with a purchased product.
	The new food technology examination specifications, at Key Stage 4 also require students to know about and understand food labelling and nutritional content and are frequently tested in the GCSE examination.

Young People: Voluntary Work

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans the Government has to promote a requirement for young people to undertake community service.

Jim Knight: It is the Government's ambition that, in time, all young people will contribute at least 50 hours of community service by the age of 19. On 24 April 2009, the Government announced a £146 million funding package to help get every young person in the country contributing to their communities. The package is made up of the following three elements:
	A new programme, beginning this September, offering 20,000 16 to 18-year-olds the opportunity to undertake full time community service, alongside achieving relevant qualifications, as part of the Entry to Employment programme;
	A set of intensive pilots designed to test ways of significantly increasing the proportions of young people within a given area participating in community service. These pilots will begin during the forthcoming school year and will work with schools and youth and community organisations in a number of areas, to involve some 14,000 school pupils aged 14-16;
	Building on the foundations created by citizenship education, a new package of support to enable all schools to provide opportunities for their pupils aged 14-16 to participate in community service. This will include enabling relevant agencies including V (the national youth volunteering organisation) to support all schools in identifying and arranging suitable service opportunities; new guidance and support for schools on how to facilitate effective service learning; and work to develop an effective accreditation approach.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Apprentices: Local Government

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships each local authority is providing.

Si�n Simon: I have placed a copy of a table, showing apprenticeship and advanced apprenticeship starts in each local authority in 2007/08, in the House Libraries.

Bologna Process

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what matters were discussed at the recent Ministerial meeting on the Bologna Process; who attended the meeting; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: I led the UK delegation at the meeting of higher education Ministers from the 46 countries participating in the Bologna process, held in Leuven/Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium on 28-29 April. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss progress in implementing the Bologna reforms to date and priorities for the coming decade. We welcomed the fact that there continued to be good progress overall in implementing the reforms, and agreed that we needed to redouble our efforts at European, national and institutional level to ensure full implementation across the European higher education area. The Communiqu issued at the conclusion of our discussions sets out clear priorities for the future, including the importance of widening participation, making lifelong learning an integral part of our education systems, employability and increasing the mobility of students and staff.
	The summit also included the first Bologna Policy Forum, where the Ministers from the Bologna process countries had the opportunity to discuss worldwide co-operation and partnership in higher education with Ministers from 15 non-European countries.
	The statement jointly issued by participants at the conclusion of out discussions reaffirmed our desire to work closely together.

Higher Education: Admissions

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills if he will make an estimate of the number of undergraduate places additional to those available in 2008-09 which would be required to increase the rate of participation in higher education to 50 per cent. of people between 18 and 30 years old.

David Lammy: It is not possible to estimate the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) in this way.
	The HEIPR is not based simply on the total number of students (or 'places') in the system in any given year, but on the number of new entrants in each year. The specification of the HEIPR means that it depends on the characteristics of those entrants (for example age, domicile, length of participation and any prior higher education participation of more than six months) which depend on decisions made by higher education institutions and further education colleges, and cannot be reliably estimated.
	The HEIPR is also impacted by changes in the total England population of 17 to 30-year-olds; so a theoretical figure that might have a given impact in HEIPR in one year would not have the same impact in another year when the demography of this population will be different.

Higher Education: Finance

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much funding was allocated under the Widening Participation programme to universities in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08.

David Lammy: This Government are fully committed to ensuring every young person has a fair chance of attending university. And we are making progress with the proportion of young entrants from lower socio-economic groups going to university increasing steadily, reaching almost 30 per cent. in 2007.
	The amount spent on all programmes to encourage and widen participation in higher education in the years 2005-06 to 2007-08 was as follows. Figures are  million to nearest whole number.
	
		
			   million 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Aimhigher(1) 102 87 80 
			 Student support(2) 1,411 1,634 1,962 
			 Widening participation allocation(3) 284 345 356 
			 University bursaries and outreach(4) 0 116 192 
			 Total 1,797 2,182 2,590 
			 (1) This is the total Aimhigher budget. The amounts allocated specifically to universities are not available at national level. (2) The student support figures are for all English domiciled students and not just those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Includes student loans Resource Account Budget (RAB) charge, fee loans, student support grants, Maintenance Grant, HE Grant, grants for vulnerable students, tuition fee grants, grants for part-time students and access funds and bursaries. The student loans RAB charge estimates the future cost to Government of subsidising and writing off the student loans issued in that year; it does not represent the amount of cash lent to students, which has risen each year since the introduction of student loans. Figures for 1997-2007 are outturn; that for 2007-08 is estimated outturn; those for 2008-11 are plans. (3) These figures also include the allocations for improving the retention of non traditional students, and to widen access and improve provision for disabled students. (4) University bursaries and outreach are funded by universities from their tuition fee income under the terms of their access agreements with the Office for Fair Access.

Higher Education: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he plans to announce the outcome of the bidding process for funding under the new university challenge scheme.

David Lammy: Decisions about the funding of universities are for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), not Ministers, and this applies to New University Challenge. HEFCE published guidance that outlines application procedures and their decision making process on 9 March 2009.

Innovation: Coventry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to develop innovation in Coventry.

David Lammy: The Technology Strategy Board (TSB), an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by DIUS, is the main national provider of innovation support in the UK. Through the TSB, 25 companies and three higher education establishments in the Coventry area are currently involved in 34 Collaborative RD projects and five Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
	The Collaborative RD projects and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, which enable companies to work with the UK knowledge base to develop new products, processes and services, are jointly funded by business and have a total value of nearly 100 million. Of this, 41 million is grant funding from the TSB.
	Advantage West Midlands (AWM) also funds the Innovation Network project, which is managed by Coventry University. The network provides businesses with the desire to innovate the opportunity to collaborate with other businesses and access funding of between 10,000 to 15,000.
	AWM has also invested 1.4 million in the first phase of the transformation of the Gosford Gate area into a vibrant trading gateway and centre for creative enterprises. The area will focus on arts, IT and design companies, which will feed off and support each other as well existing businesses. It is expected to become the cauldron of creative talent in the city and beyond. The scheme is a partnership between AWM, Coventry city council, Coventry Warwickshire and Solihull Partnership, Far Gosford Street businesses and residents, Heritage Lottery Fund, and local developers Complex Development Projects Ltd. It is one element in the radical 2.2 billion transformation of Coventry into a 21st century city.
	Coventry is also able to benefit from regional innovation projects including the INDEX innovation voucher scheme and the Innovation Advisory Service available through Business Link West Midlands, and from national programmes such as the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), which supports universities to work with business and public services and drive innovation. For example, HEIF funding has been used to support Coventry University's Institute of Creative Enterprise and Serious Games Institute.

Research: Standards

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the latest research assessment exercise in assisting universities to develop centres of internationally excellent research.

David Lammy: The aim of the research assessment exercise (RAE) is to assess the quality of research in higher education institutions. The RAE informs the allocation of the quality related block grant research funding, which is awarded on the basis of excellence. Funding on the basis of excellence gives institutions an incentive to drive up the quality of research. The 2008 RAE identified that 55 per cent. of research in England was either World Leading or Internationally Excellent. The latest report on the UK's comparative international research performance shows the UK as second in the world, only to the USA, with 12 per cent. of total world citations.

Students: Disability Living Allowance

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what information his Department holds on the percentage of students at  (a) the London School of Economics,  (b) Birmingham University,  (c) Oxford University,  (d) Cambridge University,  (e) University College London,  (f) Bristol University and  (g) Durham University who are claiming disability living allowance.

David Lammy: The Department does not hold information on students who claim disability living allowance. The latest available information on students who claim disabled students' allowance (DSA) is shown in the table. Information on postgraduate students who claim DSA is not available. Figures are from the Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Figures for the 2007/08 academic year will be available in June 2009.
	
		
			  Percentage of full-time first degree, all undergraduate and part-time undergraduate students in receipt of disabled students '  allowance (DSA), academic year 2006/07 
			   Full-time first degree  Full-time all undergraduate( 1)  Part-time undergraduate( 2) 
			  Higher education institution  Percentage in receipt of DSA  Bench mark  Percentage in receipt of DSA  Bench mark  Percentage in receipt of DSA  Bench mark 
			 University of Birmingham 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 0.5 1.7 
			 University of Bristol 3.8 3.0 3.8 3.0 1.8 3.8 
			 University of Cambridge 0.9 2.5 0.9 2.5 0.4 2.2 
			 University of Durham 3.7 3.1 3.6 3.1 0.6 3.7 
			 London School of Economics and Political Science 3.6 3.0 3.6 3.0 4.0 3.3 
			 University of Oxford 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 0.2 3.5 
			 University College, London 2.6 3.3 2.6 3.3 5.7 4.4 
			 (1 )All full-time undergraduate figures and full-time first degree figures will contain an element of double counting, as first degree students will be included in the all undergraduate category.  (2) Benchmarks for part-time undergraduates exclude the Open University.   Source:  Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA. 
		
	
	For each institution, the performance indicator is shown against a benchmark. This is a sector average which is adjusted for each institution to take into account the following factors: subject of study, qualifications on entry and age on entry. The benchmarks can be used to show how a university is performing compared to the sector as a whole, and also help to determine whether a meaningful comparison can be drawn between two or more universities. The benchmarks are not targets.

Students: Disabled

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what guidance his Department provides to universities on  (a) the provision of help and support to students with disabilities and  (b) compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA); what assessment his Department has made of the levels of (i) provision for students with disabilities and (ii) compliance with the DDA of (A) all universities and (B) members of the Russell Group; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Higher education institutions (HEIs) are classed as public authorities in the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA). As such they are legally required to meet both the general duty and specific duties to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people in higher education (HE). Compliance with the law is the responsibility of institutions themselves and enforcement the responsibility of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
	The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has provided guidance to HEIs on supporting disabled students. In 1999, jointly with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales it published Guidance on base-level provision for disabled students in higher education institutions. The base level provision document contains information that is still useful and relevant today.
	HEFCE is reviewing its policy as it relates to disabled students. This review includes an appraisal of its support to the sector in meeting the needs of disabled students and research commissioned jointly with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. The research will look at the sector's support to disabled students and the progress that has been made since the publication of the guidance. HEFCE will be publishing an outcomes document in the summer outlining the results of the review and HEFCE's future policy and strategy for supporting the sector in this area.
	The Department has published its progress report on disability equality in December 2008. The report's focus was on looking across the Department's policy areas to provide an assessment of progress towards disability equality. It did not focus on the compliance of our partners or stakeholders. The full report can be accessed here:
	http://dius.ecgroup.net/Publications/DIUS-Corporate/EqualityandDiversity.aspx
	The report reflects that there has been significant advancement in the support provided to disabled students in HE, and in their ability to access HE, through the funding provided to HEIs to support such students and via the direct provision of disabled students' allowances.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are learning each language indigenous to Afghanistan with support from his Department.

Bob Ainsworth: The MOD considers the principal languages of Afghanistan to be Balochi, Pashtu, Dari and Farsi, and conducts training accordingly.
	In order to meet requirements for current operations, all military personnel deploying to Afghanistan receive a basic level of Pashtu training under Operational Training Advisory Group remit, and are equipped with a Pashtu language card.
	In addition to this, Defence is delivering the language training provided in the following table.
	Those who received training in financial year 2008-09 have not necessarily completed their training, while the figures for 2009-10 may be subject to in-year changes.
	
		
			   Financial year 
			   2008-09  2009-10 
			 Balochi 0 2 
			 Dari 21 28 
			 Farsi 19 18 
			 Pashtu 228 265

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-fatal UK military casualties there have been in Helmand province since 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: Between 1 January 2006 and 15 April 2009, the latest date for which casualty information is available, there were 744 non-fatal UK military casualties in Afghanistan, of these 77 have been very seriously injured and 101 have been seriously injured. These figures include injuries as a result of hostile action and non battle injuries, and exclude all casualties with natural causes. The location information available does not provide enough detail to give figures for Helmand province.
	Casualty statistics for UK military and civilian personnel in Afghanistan are routinely updated each fortnight on the MOD website, which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/Operations Factsheets/OperationsInAfghanistanBritishCasualties.htm

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the number of shots fired by UK armed forces in Helmand province since 2006.

Bob Ainsworth: Officials are collating and validating the data needed and this is taking longer than anticipated. I will write to the right hon. and learned Member when this work is complete and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Aircraft Carriers

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the cost of the two aircraft carriers on order; and what the total estimated cost was in 2006-07.

Quentin Davies: Following the equipment examination we have estimated the costs of the two Queen Elizabeth (QE) Class aircraft carriers in conjunction with the Aircraft Carrier Alliance and other stakeholders. Further negotiations with industry are proceeding and it would not be appropriate to release any estimates until these negotiations conclude and agreement has been reached. This is currently expected to be later this year.
	The Secretary of State for Defence during the CSR and Aircraft Carriers debate on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 865, announced that the approved QE Class project cost at the time was 3.9 billion.

Armed Forces: Foreigners

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign nationals from each country of origin  (a) serving and  (b) who formerly served in the UK armed forces are estimated would become eligible for residency in the UK if there were an automatic right to residency as a current or former service person.

Bob Ainsworth: holding  answer  7 May 2009
	Foreign and Commonwealth personnel are able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK or Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE) the UK, or Settlement as they are more commonly known, upon discharge from the Services so long as they have completed a minimum of 4 years Service at the point of discharge. It is for the Home Office to decide whether or not an individual meets all the requirements to be granted ILR or ILE.
	Country of Origin data are not currently available due to an ongoing data validation of the Ministry of Defence Joint Personnel Administrative system (JPA).
	 (a) The number of foreign nationals serving in the trained regular UK armed forces as at 1 January 2009 by nationality is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of foreign nationals serving in the trained regular UK armed forces as at 1 January 2009 by nationality( 1) 
			   All Services( 2)  Naval Service( 2)  Army( 2)  RAF( 2) 
			 Non-UK total 7,550 630 6,830 90 
			  
			 Commonwealth total(3) 6,970 570 6,340 60 
			 Antiguan (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Australian 80 10 60 (4) 
			 Bahamian (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Bangladeshi 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Barbadian 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Belizean (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Botswanan 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 British Commonwealth 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Cameroonian 40 (4) 40 (4) 
			 Canadian 80 20 50 (4) 
			 Citizen of Fiji 2,220 100 2,110 10 
			 Citizen of Seychelles 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Citizen of Sri Lanka 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Citizen of St. Kitts (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Dominican 30 10 20 (4) 
			 Gambian 160 10 150 (4) 
			 Ghanaian 740 10 740 (4) 
			 Grenadian 60 (4) 50 (4) 
			 Guyanese 20 (4) 20 (4) 
			 Indian 80 10 60 (4) 
			 Jamaican 640 30 600 10 
			 Kenyan 140 10 130 (4) 
			 Lesotho (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Malawian 170 10 160 (4) 
			 Malaysian 10 (4) (4) (4) 
			 Maltese 10 (4) (4) (4) 
			 Mauritian 40 (4) 40 (4) 
			 Namibian (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 New Zealander 80 10 60 (4) 
			 Nigerian 120 10 110 (4) 
			 Pakistani 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Papua New Guinean (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Sierra Leonean 40 (4) 40 (4) 
			 Singaporean (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 South African 840 60 770 10 
			 St. Lucian 200 10 190 (4) 
			 Swazi 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Tanzanian (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Tongan 10 (4) 10 (4) 
			 Trinidad and Tobago citizen 100 20 60 10 
			 Ugandan 70 (4) 70 (4) 
			 Vincentian 430 200 230 (4) 
			 Zambian 30 10 20 (4) 
			 Zimbabwean 460 20 440 (4) 
			  
			 Other Foreign total 570 50 490 30 
			 Afghan (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 American 10 (4) (4) (4) 
			 Brazilian (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Dutch (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Filipino (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Foreign (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 French (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 German (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Greek (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Irish(3) 280 50 210 30 
			 Mauritanian (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Nepalese 260 (4) 260 (4) 
			 Swiss (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			 Ukrainian (4) (4) (4) (4) 
			  
			 Unknown total(4) 1,140 150 850 130 
			 (1) Nationality is as recorded on the Joint Personnel Administration system (JPA). (2) Provisional (3) Includes Zimbabwean and Fijian citizens, who continue to retain Commonwealth status under the British Nationality Act 1981. (4) Zero or rounded to zero (5) Citizens of the Republic of Ireland. (6) Includes those with an unrecorded nationality.  Note : Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10  Source:  DASA (Quad-Service) 
		
	
	 (b) It is not possible to provide numbers of foreign nationals who served in the UK armed forces but had left by the end of 2008.

Armed Forces: Foreigners

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 2 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 33-34WS, on Army nationality policy, whether he has received representations from other governments on the employment of their citizens in the UK armed forces.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department has not received any representation from other governments on the employment of their citizens in the UK armed forces since this statement was made.

Armed Forces: Labour Turnover

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Coventry South of 9 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1531W, on service personnel: retention, which pinch point trades his Department is monitoring; what the exit rates of such trades are; what steps his Department is taking to improve retention and recruitment in these areas; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: All pinch point trades are monitored closely by the single services and considerable effort is expended in reducing the impact on these groups of people through careful management and financial incentives to encourage them to stay in the armed forces.
	Recruitment in to all three services has improved over the past few months, primarily as a result of targeted national, regional and local level recruiting campaigns. There has also been a significant increase in expressions of interest through the Armed Forces Recruitment Offices and through on-line applications, which is attributed in part to the current economic circumstances and rising unemployment. Taking the armed forces as a whole, retention rates are stable and we have seen no sudden outflow of personnel. There is real concern, however, that in some important areas exit rates are too high. These areas are continuously reviewed and the Department has put in place a wide range of measures to improve recruitment and retention in the armed forces including: career management, improvement to conditions of service and work/life balance, extensions to normal engagement lengths, commitment bonuses and targeted Financial Retention Initiatives. Examples of schemes and incentives in place are: Golden Hellos, Commitment Bonuses, Recruit Bounty Schemes and targeted Recruitment and Retention Incentives. Each incentive is tailored to meet specific Service requirements.
	The following tables show the pinch point trades liability, shortfalls, outflow and voluntary outflow (VO) in real numbers and percentage figures for quarter 3 of the Operational and Manning Pinch Point statistics. These are the latest available figures.
	
		
			  Royal Navy 
			Shortfall
			   Liability  Number  Percentage  Inflow  Outflow  VO (percentage) 
			  Operational Pinch Point Trades   
			 Lt Cdr X SM Command Qualified (SM(CQ)) 47 2 5 n/a 3 0 
			 Lt X SM IWC Qualified and SQEP 40 1 3 n/a 16 7.5 
			 Principal Warfare Officers 359 70 20 n/a 38 4.0 
			 RN Harrier GR7 Instructors 7 4 57 n/a 1 0 
			 GR7 Harrier Pilots - Lt 35 14 40 n/a 0 4.0 
			 MCD/MWO Lts 81 34 43 n/a 7 3.8 
			 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 110 24 22 n/a 22 5.0 
			 Merlin Pilots 122 44 36 n/a 7 2.5 
			 Merlin Observers 116 45 39 n/a 1 1.5 
			 Merlin Aircrewmen 103 23 22 n/a 10 14.6 
			 Leading Seaman General Warfare 1,105 290 26 n/a 106 8.3 
			 Able Rate Diver 135 40 30 n/a 12 10.0 
			 Lt X SM Advanced Warfare Course Qualified (SQEP) 34 4 12 n/a 16 4.0 
			 Able Rate 1 Seaman 388 97 25 n/a 74 16.0 
			 Able Rate 1 Warfare Specialist 666 31 5 n/a 173 13.0 
			 Able Rate 1 Communications and Information Systems 367 32 9 n/a 77 16.0 
			 Leading Aircraft Controllers 73 32 44 n/a 5 6.5 
			 Royal Marines Other Ranks (Pt - Cpl) 6,525 522 8 n/a 484 7.3 
			 Able Rate Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 178 34 17 n/a 30 6.0 
			 Sea-King and Lynx Avionics Supervisors 348 64 18 n/a 3 Not available 
			 Cat A2 Nuclear Watchkeepers 189 32 17 n/a 12 6.0 
			 Cat B Nuclear Watchkeepers 377 61 16 n/a 44 6.0 
			 L Logs (CS) (P) 328 67 25 n/a 27 2.0 
			 AB Logs (CS) (P) 456 9 2 n/a 48 6.0 
			 L Logs (Pers) 239 17 7 n/a 26 4.0 
			 AB Logs (Pers) 392 1 0 n/a 49 9.0 
			 LS (MW) 70 5 8 n/a 3 6.0 
			 Able Rate Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner) 124 8 7 n/a 13 7.0 
			  Notes: 1. Outflow is to January 2009. 2. Lt X SM IWC Qualified and SQEP and Lt X SM Advanced Warfare Course Qualified(SQEP) are the same group and are 16 in total but they are two separate OPPs. 3. SQEP means Suitably Qualified and Experience Personnel, i.e. have the skills to do a particular job and in case of SM if AWC are qualified to be a Watch Leader. 
		
	
	
		
			  Army 
			Shortfall
			   Liability  Number  Percentage  Inflow  Outflow  VO (percentage) 
			  Operational Pinch Point Trades   
			 RE Clk of Wks - SSgt-WO1 248 11 4.4 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RLC Ammo Tech - Cpl-SSgt 306 130 42.5 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Infantry - Pte-LCpl 14,980 1,600 10.7 n/a n/a n/a 
			 REME Rec Mech - LCpl-Cpl 339 126 37.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RE EOD - Cpl-SSgt 131 22 16.7 n/a n/a n/a 
			 REME VM - Cfn-Cpl 3,521 297 8.4 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Int OPMI - Cpl-Sgt 708 232 32.8 n/a n/a n/a 
			 REME Armourer - Cfn-Cpl 377 74 19.6 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RA Gunner - Gnr-Bdr (including Para/Cdo Gnrs and OP Asst) 4,987 497 10.0 n/a n/a n/a 
			  Manning Pinch Point Trades   
			 AMS Radiologist - Maj+ 4 2 50.0 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS ITU Nurse - Cpl-Capt 121 86 71.1 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS EM Nurse - Cpl-Capt 101 63 62.4 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS Radiographer - Cpl+ 24 12 50.0 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS Anaesthetist - Maj+ 49 26 53.1 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS Orth Surg - Maj+ 13 3 23.1 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS Gen Surg - Maj+ 17 7 41.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RE ME Geo - Spr-WO2 365 81 22.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RLC PC Op - Pte-Cpl 433 -2 -0.5 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RA UAV Op - LBdr-SSgt 370 71 19.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RE ME Fitter - Spr-LCpl 495 86 17.4 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AGC(SPS) Mil Admin - Pte- Sgt 2,666 374 14.0 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS GMP - Capt+ 155 18 11.6 n/a n/a n/a 
			 R Signals IS Engr  Cpl-Sgt 252 128 50.8 n/a n/a n/a 
			 CAMUS  Musician 300 101 33.7 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS ODP  Cpl+ 95 14 14.7 n/a n/a n/a 
			 AMS RGN  Cpl-Sgt 293 30 10.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RE ME C3S  Spr-LCpl 712 101 14.2 n/a n/a n/a 
			 RLC Chef  Pte-LCpl 1,459 76 5.2 n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Air Force 
			Shortfall
			   Liability  Number  Percentage  Inflow  Outflow  VO (percentage) 
			  Operational Pinch Point Trades   
			 Flying Branch (Career Stream)(Senior Officer) 677 101 15 100 70 20 
			 Pilot (Junior Officer) 1,490 202 14 160 150 40 
			 Operations Support (Intelligence) 229 5 2 10 20 10 
			 Operations Support (Regiment) 275 40 14 30 20 10 
			 Operations Support (Flight Operations) 224 5 2 20   
			 Medical 282 69 24  10  
			 Medical Nursing Officer 179 51 28 10 20 10 
			 Weapons System Operator (Crewman) 577 74 13 70 30 10 
			 Weapons System Operator (Linguist) 63 13 21 10 10  
			 Mechanical Transport Technician 355 13 4  30 20 
			 Gunner 1,924 222 11 330 190 110 
			 Fire Fighter 545 27 5 110 60 20 
			 Air Traffic Control/Flight Operations Manager/Flight Operations Assistant 1,246 18 1 110 80 40 
			 Logistics (Mover) 895 46 5 50 70 50 
			  Manning Pinch Point Trades   
			 Weapons System Officer (Junior Officer) 513 74 14 10 30 10 
			 Operations Support (Aerospace Battle Manager) 342 49 14 10 20 10 
			 Operations Support (Air Traffic Control) 397 26 6 20 30 10 
			 Personnel (Support) 521 27 5 50 40 20 
			 Personnel (Training) 219 21 10 10 20 10 
			 Dental 71 14 20  10  
			 Chaplains 78 15 19  10  
			 Aircraft Technician (Mechanical) 4,965 666 13 10 290 200 
			 Aircraft Technician (Avionics) 3,942 505 13 10 260 180 
			 General Technician (Electrical) 551 60 11 20 70 40 
			 General Technician (Mechanical) 963 527 75 20 30 20 
			 Intelligence (Analyst) 679 89 13 40 30 20 
			 Survival Equipment Fitter 607 45 7 30 80 40 
			 Biomedical Scientist 15 6 40 0   
			 Dental Nurse 131 9 7 20 10 10 
			 Musician 175 23 13 10 10

Armed Forces: Languages

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are learning the German language with support from his Department.

Bob Ainsworth: In financial year 2008-09, 51 members of the armed forces were being taught German. In financial year 2009-10, 30 members are projected to be receiving this training and in 2010-11 this number is expected to be 52.

Armed Forces: Pay

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) golden hello,  (b) commitment bonus,  (c) recruit an oppo bounty and  (d) retention financial packages are available to members of the armed forces.

Bob Ainsworth: There is a wide range of recruitment and retention incentives available to members of the armed forces and these include golden hellos, commitment bonuses, recruit bounty schemes and targeted recruitment and retention incentives. Each incentive is tailored to meet specific service requirements.

Armed Forces: Pay

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Army rejoin bounty has been paid in respect of each  (a) unit and  (b) trade in each year since its inception.

Bob Ainsworth: The Army Rejoin Bounty was introduced in November 2002 to offer a partial solution to critical manning shortfalls in certain Career Employment Groups. The scheme was then expanded in November 2003 as part of the wider Pinch Point Financial Incentive Scheme. It has been agreed to further expand the scheme under the Exceptional Action Measures to increase the amounts payable and widen the eligibility of those who qualify.
	The extensions to the range, value and eligibility of these bounty payments, as well as data coding problems in the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) tool, have resulted in both the historic and current information not being held in the format requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many residents of  (a) Northern Ireland and  (b) the Republic of Ireland enrolled in the UK armed forces in the last six months.

Bob Ainsworth: It is not possible to answer the question as asked without incurring disproportionate cost. Between 1 October 2008 and 31 March 2009, the Armed Forces Career Office in Belfast recruited five officers and 100 other ranks. However these figures could include non-residents, and Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland residents could well have enlisted elsewhere in the UK. In addition some specialists, such as medical personnel and chaplains, are recruited through other establishments.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) men and  (b) women were recruited into the armed forces in 2007-08.

Bob Ainsworth: The intake to the untrained strength of UK Regular Forces, excluding Gurkhas, full time Reserve personnel, and mobilised reservists, in financial year 2007-08 by gender is provided as follows.
	Females2,090(1)
	Males19,230(1)
	(1) Provisional.
	Statistics on personnel recruited into the UK Regular Armed Forces by gender in 2007-08 is available from the UK Defence Statistics (UKDS) 2008 Publication table 2.21, Intake to untrained strength of UK Regular Forces by Service and sex, which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS2008/c2/table221.html

Bomb Disposal: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on how many occasions an Army bomb disposal squad has been called out  (a) to deal with devices and  (b) to respond to hoax calls in each district of Northern Ireland in each of the last 24 months;
	(2)  how many injuries members of Army bomb disposal squads have sustained in Northern Ireland in the last 18 months;
	(3)  how many military personnel are deployed on bomb disposal duties in Northern Ireland.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 1 May 2009, 44 members of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regiment were stationed in Northern Ireland. No EOD personnel have sustained injuries on duty in Northern Ireland in the last 18 months. The following table shows the number of times Army EOD personnel have been called out in Northern Ireland in the last 24 months.
	
		
			   IED( 1) /Incendia ry( 2) /Find( 3 ) call outs  Hoax( 4) /False( 3)  call outs  Total call outs 
			  2007
			 May 18 4 22 
			 June 13 6 19 
			 July 16 10 26 
			 August 11 1 12 
			 September 26 5 31 
			 October 23 6 29 
			 November 15 2 17 
			 December 17 5 22 
			  2008
			 January 6 15 21 
			 February 2 16 18 
			 March 7 16 23 
			 April 20 4 24 
			 May 12 17 29 
			 June 16 7 23 
			 July 17 6 23 
			 August 12 14 26 
			 September 19 11 30 
			 October 21 14 35 
			 November 30 25 55 
			 December 19 7 26 
			  2009
			 January 19 4 23 
			 February 18 9 27 
			 March 28 51 79 
			 April 22 29 51 
			 (1) IEDThe report of EOD action which results in the total neutralisation, disruption or dismantling of an Improvised Explosive Device. (2) IncendiaryThe report of the functioning of an IED which is primarily designed to cause damage by burning. (3) FindThe report of explosives or bomb-making components, weapons, ammunition or tools found by the police or security forces and confirmed by the EOD Operator after full investigation. (4) HoaxThe report of an incident where, after full investigation, an object is discovered to be a simulated IED. (5) FalseA report made in good faith of an object believed to be an IED which, upon full investigation, proves to be innocuous. 
		
	
	The number of each call out type by district is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Furniture

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) his Department spent on furniture in 2008-09 and  (b) his Department's agencies spent on furniture in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: In 2008-09 the Department spent 18.1 million on furniture. This includes not only office furniture but furniture for messes, barracks, service family accommodation and ships. Information specifically relating to MOD Agency spend in each of the last five years is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The 18.1 million figure excludes expenditure relating to PFI/PPP projects where the furniture is supplied by the industry partner and forms part of the overall project costs.

Departmental Stationery

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on branded stationery and gifts for  (a) internal and  (b) external promotional use in each of the last five years.

Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Expenditure on branded goods must be necessary, appropriate, cost-effective and an admissible charge to public funds.

East Midlands University Officer Training Corps

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conclusions his Department has reached following its investigation of alleged inappropriate and far-right extremist costumes worn by members of the East Midlands University Officer Training Corps.

Bob Ainsworth: An investigation was undertaken into the allegations of inappropriate costumes worn by members of the East Midlands University Officer Training Corps at a Unit Halloween party in October last year, to identify the facts of the incident and make recommendations to prevent similar occurrences.
	The Ministry of Defence is satisfied that the individuals concerned have shown remorse and appropriate measures have been undertaken to ensure that all Officer Cadets at the establishment are made aware of standards regarding acceptable dress and behaviour at Unit functions.

Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an estimate of the  (a) monetary value and  (b) quantity of waste food disposed of from his Department's premises in the last 12 months.

Quentin Davies: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Bases: Northern Ireland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the security of UK army bases in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the future of UK military personnel based in Northern Ireland.

Bob Ainsworth: There are regular Security Policy Meetings (SPM), chaired by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which discuss security arrangements in Northern Ireland, and the MOD are always represented. I recently visited Northern Ireland, where I had meetings with relevant security officials, and discussed the general security situation and more specifically the measures taken to protect the MOD bases and our people who will remain garrisoned there. I also met the Chief Constable. We will continue the work to ensure that security of military bases and our people is as strong as possible while allowing our people to lead a normal life.
	There have been no formal discussions between the Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, but they are regularly in touch and have many informal discussions.

RAF Cosford

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will put in place contingency plans for the use of RAF Cosford in the event that Operation Borona does not coincide with the vacating of RAF Cosford as part of the Defence Training Review Programme.

Bob Ainsworth: RAF Cosford is currently the Ministry of Defence's preferred location for 1 Signal Brigade and 102 Logistics Brigade returning from Germany under Programme Borona. There are currently no detailed contingency plans for the use of RAF Cosford, should our requirements under Borona no longer match the availability of the site. However, as RAF Cosford is a well found site that has enduring military utility, it has been designated a 'Core Site' and the alternative opportunities it offers would be considered should the need arise.

Rescue Services: Procurement

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1024W, on rescue services, when he expects to announce the result of the competition for the provision of the harmonised UK search and rescue capability.

Bob Ainsworth: The PFI competition is being conducted in accordance with European Union procurement regulations using the Competitive Dialogue process to progressively refine the search and rescue helicopter (SAR-H) requirement and develop industry solutions. The result of the competition will be announced when an appropriately mature solution has been established.

Saudi Arabia: Arms Trade

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with the Comptroller and Auditor General to seek to ensure public access to the National Audit Office's 1992 report on the Al Yamamah arms deal.

John Hutton: holding answer 7 May 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Secretary of State for Defence on 8 December 2005,  Official Report, column 1495W, to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone).

Swine Flu

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many courses of influenza chemoprophylaxis  (a) are held and  (b) have been ordered by the Defence Medical Services;
	(2)  which  (a) members and  (b) units of the armed forces would be provided with influenza chemoprophylaxis under the contingency plans of that service in relation to swine influenza; and in what circumstances such treatment would be given.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 7 May 2009
	Influenza chemoprophylaxis, in the form of antiviral drugs, would be provided to any service personnel who met the case definition of possible or probable cases of influenza A/H1N1 (swine variant), as defined by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and close contacts of these cases.
	All entitled patients in the UK will obtain antiviral treatment in accordance with Department of Health policy through local arrangements with primary care organisations. For entitled patients outside the UK for whom the DMS have responsibility, such as deployed personnel, overseas bases and RN ships afloat, around 22,000 courses of influenza antivirals (Oseltamivir) have been forward positioned, with a further 10,700 courses held by the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency (DSDA) for operational use as required including further supplies for Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo. These stocks provide sufficient for each of the overseas bases to be allocated stock to cover 25 per cent. of the entitled population at risk (PAR). The Department of Health is being approached with an order for uplift to 50 per cent. PAR.
	We are also currently replacing our existing stocks of Oseltamivir paediatric suspension, for the use of children under 13, to reflect new dosage recommendations. Around 1,100 new courses have been issued to overseas bases already, and the Department of Health is being approached to uplift to 50 per cent. PAR.

Swine Flu

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) masks and  (b) pairs of gloves (i) are held and (ii) have been ordered by the Defence Medical Services for the purposes of preventing the spread of swine influenza.

Quentin Davies: holding answer 7 May 2009
	The MOD follows Health Protection Agency (HPA) guidance in planning for an outbreak of pandemic influenza. In 2007, defence medical centres assessed their emergency requirements for infection control consumables, and around 275,000 masks and 150,000 pairs of gloves were distributed to centres in the UK and overseas bases. An additional three months' stock, calculated at three months' regular usage and amounting to around 8,000 masks and 48,000 pairs of gloves, is held by the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency (DSDA), to provide stock for operations overseas and ships afloat. This stock is replenished as items are consumed. Overall, these remain sufficient for our predicted emergency requirements, calculated on the basis of HPA advice.

Swine Flu

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role the reserve forces have in the contingency plans of the armed forces in relation to a swine influenza pandemic; and what mechanisms are in place to protect members of the reserve forces against infection with swine influenza.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 7 May 2009
	The reserve forces contribute to overall military capability. They have been engaged in business continuity planning, but there is no specific task placed on the reserve forces in the MOD Pandemic Influenza Framework.
	The mechanisms to protect members of the reserve forces are the same as for the general publichygiene advice for all and antiviral drugs for possible cases and close contacts. Hygiene advice has been issued by the Department of Health but has also been promulgated through service communications. Unless members of the reserve forces are mobilised, they will be supplied with antiviral drugs, in accordance with Health Protection Agency and Department of Health guidance, through the primary care trust/organisation supply services in their home area. Their NHS GP will be responsible for providing primary care services.
	The Defence Medical Services are responsible for primary care services for mobilised members of the reserve forces. For those serving in the UK, antiviral drugs will be obtained from primary care trust/organisation stocks in accordance with local arrangements set up for military patients. Those deployed overseas will be provided with antiviral drugs from military stocks. Those mobilised reservists requiring personal protective equipment, such as medical personnel, will be supplied with the requisite items through service supply.

HEALTH

Anabolic Steroids: Health Education

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps his Department has taken to inform the public of the health risks of anabolic steroids; how much has been spent to that end in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The FRANK campaign, jointly funded by the Department and the Home Office, has a website and helpline advisers to provide information on the risks associated with drug misuse. FRANK makes it clear that the misuse of steroids is dangerous and can lead to some potentially fatal medical problems. The harmful short and long-term effects of anabolic steroid use are also described in the Department's publication Dangerousness of drugs (2003).
	It is not possible to provide spending figures on the cost of providing information on anabolic steroids specifically, because FRANK provides information on a wide range of drugs.

Asthma and Depression

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the population in England were diagnosed with  (a) asthma and  (b) clinical depression in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest 12 month period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: Information relating to 1997 is not available. Health Service England (1996) reported the prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma as 21 per cent. of children and 12 per cent. of adults, or 14 per cent. overall. These figures indicated those who had been diagnosed with asthma at any time in their life, and do not necessarily indicate those with a current condition in 1996.
	The latest national diagnosed prevalence of asthma relates to 2007-08 and is reported through the Quality and Outcomes Framework. These records show that approximately 5.7 per cent. of the population of England were reported as suffering from asthma.
	Information on the incidence of clinical depression in England is not available in the requested format. There is no information available for 1997, only for 1993, 2000 and 2007, through the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys. Information relating to those aged 65-74 only became available in 2000 and has therefore been excluded from the reply. In 1993, 2.2 per cent. of all adults in England aged 16-64 experienced a depressive episode, in 2000 2.8 per cent. and in 2007 2.6 per cent.

Care Homes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether local authorities are required to consult the residents of a local authority care home prior to sale of the home.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission that the statement of purpose for each provider, including local authority-run care homes, requires the provider to consult with all service users about any change in service provision.

Care Homes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average cost of a care home resident to a local authority in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: Information on personal social services expenditure weekly unit costs to councils with adult social services responsibilities for residential and nursing care by primary client group is collected and published by the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.
	The following table shows the average cost per person per week to councils with adult social services responsibilities of a care home resident in England and Leicester by primary client group in 2007-08.
	
		
			   
			  Primary client group  England  Leicester 
			 Adults aged 65 and over 466 404 
			 Adults aged 18 to 64 with learning disabilities 1,047 848 
			 Adults aged 18 to 64 with mental health needs 613 581 
			 Adults aged 18 to 64 with physical disabilities 750 880 
			  Source:  PSS EX1 return, NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Care Homes

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the average residence charge to a care home resident in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected by the Department. However, according to the Care of Elderly People, UK Market Survey 2008, published by the independent health care analysts, Laing  Buisson, the average weekly fees in for-profit care homes in England, as at 31 March 2008, were:
	
		
			   
			  Type of care  Single room  Shared room 
			 Care with nursing 691 584 
			 Residential care only 474 416

Care Homes: Infectious Diseases

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent guidance issued by his Department on infection control in care homes;
	(2)  what guidance his Department has issued to care homes on recording cases of  (a) MRSA and  (b) clostridium difficile occurring amongst their patients; and to whom care homes are expected to make notification of such occurrences.

Phil Hope: The guidance, Infection Control Guidance for Care Homes, issued in June 2006, is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4136381
	A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The Care Homes Regulations 2001Regulation 37 (1b)require homes to notify the regulator, the Care Quality Commission, without delay of the outbreak of any infectious disease which in the opinion of any registered medical practitioner attending persons in the care home is sufficiently serious to be so notified. Notification must be confirmed in writing.
	Schedule 4(10)Regulation 17(2)requires homes to record any incident which is detrimental to the health or welfare of a service user, including the outbreak of infectious disease in the care home and any injury or illness.

Care Homes: Manpower

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 31 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1093-4W, on care homes: manpower, when he expects the review of evidence to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Department has been working closely with the Migration Advisory Committee to provide evidence on manpower in the adult social care sector.
	The committee has now made its recommendations to the Government in its report 'Skilled, Shortage, Sensible: First review of the recommended shortage occupation lists for the UK and Scotland: Spring 2009', published on 29 April 2009. The Government's response will be published soon.

Chiropody: Elderly

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve foot care for the elderly.

Phil Hope: The forthcoming prevention package for older people will include a renewed focus on best practice for foot care services.

Cholesterol: Drugs

Patricia Hewitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the clinical effectiveness of polypills combining statins for cholesterol reduction with low doses of other safe and effective medicines that reduce blood pressure. [R]

Ann Keen: The Department has met the original Polypill authors on a number of occasions. The initial conclusions were that this type of approach would be more suitable in developing countries rather than in more sophisticated health care systems such as ours where tailored therapy is more the norm.
	The Department is currently exploring how to reassess this issue in the light of fresh interest in the topic.

Departmental ICT

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the operation of ICT systems in his Department under the Greening Government ICT Strategy.

Ben Bradshaw: The Greening Government Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy sets a target for central Government Departments to become carbon neutral in ICT operations by 2012. In response to this target, the Department produced an action plan in December 2008 that details a series of projects and initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions by 40 per cent. against the 2008 baseline. The targets to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent. and to achieve carbon neutrality in ICT operations by 2012 are included within the Department's Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP) for the period 2009-11. Progress against the targets will be monitored as part of governance of the Greening ICT Action Plan and the SDAP.
	The Greening Government ICT Strategy recommends completion of 18 Quick Win initiatives for CO2 emission reduction. Nine of the Quick Win initiatives have been completed with progress at various stages against the remainder within the 2009-11 Action Plan.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to Table C11 of the Budget Report 2009, for what reason his Department  (a) spent 1.5 billion less on its resource budget for 2008-09 and  (b) spent 0.1 billion less on its capital budget than the planned expenditure set out in the 2008 pre-Budget report; and whether these sums will be available for spending in future years.

Ben Bradshaw: The difference is due to the different presentation of the numbers. The pre-Budget report published expenditure figures on the basis of funding available to the national health service. Budget 2009 published forecast outturn expenditure for 2008-09. Therefore, the difference in figures is the estimated NHS underspend.
	The Department's end year flexibility stock is published each year in July in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper. The Department's access to this stock is subject to normal Treasury scrutiny on the basis of need and realism, and the wider fiscal position.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial assumptions NHS organisations are using to plan spending in years after 2010-11.

Ben Bradshaw: Revenue allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) for 2009-10 and 2010-11, the remaining years of Comprehensive Spending Review 2007, were announced in December 2008. The allocations represent a 164 billion investment in the national health service, 80 billion in 2009-10 and 84 billion in 2010-11. PCTs will receive an average increase in funding of 11.3 per cent. over the two years, a total increase of 8.6 billion. The announcement gives the NHS planning certainty over the next two years.
	The Department does not publish financial planning assumptions outside the current spending review period.

Departmental Stationery

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on branded stationery and gifts for  (a) internal and  (b) external promotional use in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The required information is not held centrally and can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Food

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make an estimate of the  (a) monetary value and  (b) quantity of waste food disposed of from his Department's premises in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect data on food waste.

Fractures: Elderly

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will bring forward proposals to ensure that mechanisms for primary care trust commissioning provide co-ordinated strategies for the treatment of older people who have fallen and fractures in each local area in England;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that clinical services in England adhere to treatments to prevent falls and fractures incurred by older people recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Phil Hope: The forthcoming prevention package for older people will include a focus on best practice for commissioning falls prevention and care for people with fractures and will highlight the importance of existing guidance set out by National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). However, it is for local organisations to demonstrate to the appropriate independent inspectorate that they are meeting their responsibilities with regard to the guidance from NICE.

Fractures: Health Services

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts in England ensure that the further assessment and management of fracture patients is co-ordinated by a fracture liaison nurse or a similar designated person.

Ann Keen: Information on how national health service primary care trusts organise and deliver services to meet the needs of those with fractures is not collected centrally.

Health Services: Bank Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department has taken to support charities providing NHS services who had deposited funds in Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander bank; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The investment of funds by charities providing national health service services are regulated by the Charities Commission and as such follow the governance framework as set out by the Commission. Therefore, charities providing NHS services are outside the scope of the financial regime that is performance managed by the Department.
	The Government have taken action to work with the Icelandic authorities and through the International Monetary Fund to ensure fair treatment for all United Kingdom creditors. We have been clear that we will fully support charities in pursuit of any claims through administration.

Health Visitors: Children

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the ratio of children to health visitors in each primary care trust in England.

Ann Keen: This information is in the following table.
	
		
			  NHS hospital and community health services: Health visitors per 10,000 children( 1)  in England by strategic health authority area and by organisation as at 30 September 2008 
			Number 
			 England  25 
			
			  North East Strategic Health Authority area  33 
			 County Durham Primary Care Trust (PCT) 5ND 3 
			 Darlington PCT 5J9 191 
			 Gateshead PCT 5KF 30 
			 Hartlepool PCT 5D9 18 
			 Newcastle PCT 5D7 37 
			 North Tees PCT 5E1 25 
			 North Tyneside PCT 5D8 35 
			 Northumberland Care Trust TAC 20 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 5QR 50 
			 South Tyneside PCT 5KG 43 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 5KL 32 
			
			  North West Strategic Health Authority area  31 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 5HG 40 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 5CC 37 
			 Blackpool PCT 5HP 58 
			 Bolton PCT 5HQ 31 
			 Bury PCT 5JX 33 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 5NP 23 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 5NG 27 
			 Cumbria PCT 5NE 30 
			 East Lancashire PCT 5NH 29 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 5NM 27 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 5NQ 39 
			 Knowsley PCT 5J4 42 
			 Liverpool PCT 5NL 31 
			 Manchester PCT 5NT 28 
			 North Lancashire PCT 5NF 40 
			 Oldham PCT 5J5 22 
			 Salford PCT 5F5 21 
			 Sefton PCT 5NJ 28 
			 Stockport PCT 5F7 29 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 5LH 30 
			 Trafford PCT 5NR 25 
			 Warrington PCT 5J2 28 
			 West Cheshire PCT 5NN 34 
			 Wirral PCT 5NK 31 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area  28 
			 Barnsley PCT 5JE 32 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT 5NY 26 
			 Calderdale PCT 5J6 33 
			 Doncaster PCT 5N5 37 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT 5NW 27 
			 Hull Teaching PCT 5NX 34 
			 Kirklees PCT 5N2 21 
			 Leeds PCT 5N1 26 
			 North East Lincolnshire Care trust TAN 32 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 5EF 28 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 5NV 22 
			 Rotherham PCT 5H8 29 
			 Sheffield PCT 5N4 26 
			 Wakefield District PCT 5N3 34 
			
			  East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area  24 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 5ET 22 
			 Derby City PCT 5N7 27 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 5N6 30 
			 Leicester City Teaching PCT 5PC 22 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 5PA 17 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT 5N9 27 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching PCT 5PD 19 
			 Nottingham City PCT 5EM 35 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT 5N8 20 
			
			  West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area  25 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 5PG 19 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 5MD 15 
			 Dudley PCT 5PE 28 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 5MX 23 
			 Herefordshire PCT 5CN 19 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 5PH 30 
			 Sandwell PCT 5PF 27 
			 Shropshire County PCT 5M2 25 
			 Solihull Care Trust TAM 33 
			 South Birmingham PCT 5M1 24 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 5PK 27 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching PCT 5PJ 37 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 5MK 28 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 5M3 24 
			 Warwickshire PCT 5PM 22 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 5MV 27 
			 Worcestershire PCT 5PL 29 
			
			  East of England Strategic Health Authority area  21 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 5P2 23 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 5PP 11 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 5P3 21 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching PCT 5PR 27 
			 Luton PCT 5GC 20 
			 Mid Essex PCT 5PX 17 
			 Norfolk PCT 5PQ 24 
			 North East Essex PCT 5PW 19 
			 Peterborough PCT 5PN 26 
			 South East Essex PCT 5P1 25 
			 South West Essex Teaching PCT 5PY 25 
			 Suffolk PCT 5PT 21 
			 West Essex PCT 5PV 20 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 5P4 20 
			
			  London Strategic Health Authority area  21 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 5C2 12 
			 Barnet PCT 5A9 9 
			 Bexley Care Trust TAK 27 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 5K5 16 
			 Bromley PCT 5A7 26 
			 Camden PCT 5K7 18 
			 City and Hackney PCT 5C3 21 
			 Croydon PCT 5K9 20 
			 Ealing PCT 5HX 22 
			 Enfield PCT 5C1 16 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 5A8 22 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 5H1 44 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 5C9 2 
			 Harrow PCT 5K6 18 
			 Havering PCT 5A4 20 
			 Hillingdon PCT 5AT 20 
			 Hounslow PCT 5HY 16 
			 Islington PCT 5K8 21 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 5LA 23 
			 Kingston PCT 5A5 17 
			 Lambeth PCT 5LD 17 
			 Lewisham PCT 5LF 31 
			 Newham PCT 5C5 12 
			 Redbridge PCT 5NA 17 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 5M6 20 
			 Southwark PCT 5LE 39 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 5M7 25 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 5C4 23 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 5NC 20 
			 Wandsworth PCT 5LG 22 
			 Westminster PCT 5LC 34 
			
			  South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area  21 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 5P7 25 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching PCT 5QA 24 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 5P8 31 
			 Medway PCT 5L3 25 
			 Surrey PCT 5P5 15 
			 West Kent PCT 5P9 15 
			 West Sussex Teaching PCT 5P6 17 
			
			  South Central Strategic Health Authority area  20 
			 Berkshire East Teaching PCT 5QG 18 
			 Berkshire West PCT 5QF 20 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 5QD 22 
			 Hampshire PCT 5QC 15 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT 5QT 21 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 5CQ 26 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 5QE 25 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 5FE 24 
			 Southampton City PCT 5L1 17 
			
			  South West Strategic Health Authority area  26 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 5FL 29 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 5QN 31 
			 Bristol Teaching PCT 5QJ 32 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 5QP 29 
			 Devon PCT 5QQ 21 
			 Dorset PCT 5QM 28 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 5QH 27 
			 North Somerset PCT 5M8 23 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 5F1 28 
			 Somerset PCT 5QL 23 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 5A3 22 
			 Swindon PCT 5K3 19 
			 Torbay Care Trust TAL 27 
			 Wiltshire PCT 5QK 21 
			 (1) Children are defined as those aged 0-5 years.  Notes: 1. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Strategic health authority area totals include a small number of staff employed by NHS trusts including, for example, health visitors employed by Great Ormond Street and working in Haringey. 3. The low figure for County Durham and extremely high figure for Darlington are an anomaly caused by the fact that County Durham commissions services for both County Durham and Darlington and in the case of community health services, these are provided for both PCTs by Darlington.  Sources: The NHS Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. Primary Care Organisations Mid Year 2007 Population Estimates, 2001 Population Census Based. Office for National Statistics Population Estimates.

Maternity Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 234W, on maternity services, which of the maternity units listed on the NHS Choices website are  (a) consultant-led and  (b) midwife-led.

Alan Keen: We do not routinely collect details of maternity services led by consultants or midwives. However, the Dr. Foster website has a tool where it is possible to search for details of maternity services that are either consultant or midwife led. The search can be further defined by birth unit or by postcode. The web address for this tool is:
	www.drfosterhealth.co.uk

Medical Records: Databases

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms are in place to guarantee access to general practice services for patients who wish to opt out of having their clinical information uploaded to the national database under the National Programme for IT.

Ben Bradshaw: The right of access to general practitioner services is not conditional on patients agreeing to have their clinical information uploaded to the national database. Patients who opt out by choosing not to have a summary care record are advised to make their wishes known to their general practice. Guidance has been issued to all general practices on how they should respond to patients' enquiries about their options in relation to summary care records, including ensuring that patients fully understand the implications of their decision.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Minister of State for Public Health plans to reply to the email from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 13 February 2009, on measles and mumps infections in the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: A reply was issued to the hon. Member on 3 March 2009.

NHS: Death Rate

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2009,  Official Report, column 900W, on NHS: death rate, which NHS organisations were the subject of alerts in the first year; what the reason for each alert was; what steps were taken in response to the alert; and what the reasons for the alert were determined to be.

Ben Bradshaw: The Care Quality Commission (CQC), which took over from the Healthcare Commission (HCC) on 1 April 2009, has informed us that the reasons for the 85 alerts were because data received by HCC suggested that the rates of mortality in relation to a number of specific clinical areas were statistically higher than otherwise would have been expected. Statistical alerts relating to mortality rates do not necessarily equate to problems with clinical care. The alerts could be caused as a result of poor data quality, chance events, differences in the complexity of conditions treated or there could be evidence of poor quality care.
	The HCC's report 'Following up mortality outliers' summarised the reasons for the alerts and the steps taken in response to the alerts. The report is published at:
	www.cqc.org.uk/_db/_documents/Following_up_ mortality_outliers_200903244704.pdf
	Details regarding the reasons for the first 85 alerts by patient group and outcome are contained in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of alerts by patient group and outcome (first 85 cases up to July 2008) 
			  Patient group  Resolved by Healthcare Commission  Followed up  Total 
			 Acute myocardial infarction 0 1 1 
			 Aortic, peripheral, and visceral artery aneurysms 1 2 3 
			 Asthma 1 0 1 
			 CABG (complex, combined and repeat) 2 0 2 
			 CABG (isolated, first time) 1 0 1 
			 Cardiac arrest and ventricular fibrillation 0 2 2 
			 Cardiac pacemaker system introduced through vein 2 1 3 
			 Chronic ulcer of skin 1 2 3 
			 Complication of device, implant or graft 3 1 4 
			 Complications of surgical procedures or medical care 3 0 3 
			 Coronary atherosclerosis and other heart disease 1 3 4 
			 Diabetes 0 1 1 
			 Diabetes mellitus with complications 1 0 1 
			 Elective cases (various groups) 0 1 1 
			 Epilepsy, convulsions 1 1 2 
			 Excision of lung 1 0 1 
			 Fracture of neck of femur (hip) 0 2 2 
			 Heart valve disorders 1 2 3 
			 Intestinal obstruction without hernia 3 1 4 
			 Intracranial injury 0 1 1 
			 Intracranial procedures except traumacategory 3 2 0 2 
			 Non-transient stroke or cerebrovascular accident, aged over 69 years or with complications or co-morbidities 1 1 2 
			 Operations on jejunum 0 1 1 
			 Other circulatory disease 0 1 1 
			 Other fractures 2 0 2 
			 Other liver diseases 0 1 1 
			 Other psychoses 1 0 1 
			 Other upper respiratory disease 1 0 1 
			 Perinatal mortality 1 3 4 
			 Peritonitis and intestinal abscess 0 1 1 
			 Pleurisy, pneumothorax, pulmonary collapse 0 2 2 
			 Repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm 2 1 3 
			 Septicaemia (except in labour) 3 6 9 
			 Soft tissue disorders, aged over 69 years or with complications or co-morbidities 1 1 2 
			 Spondylosis, intervertebral disc disorders, other back problems 1 0 1 
			 Therapeutic endoscopic procedures on biliary tract 2 0 2 
			 Therapeutic endoscopic procedures on lower GI tract 1 0 1 
			 Urinary tract infections 3 3 6 
			 All patient groups 43 42 85 
		
	
	As regards the steps taken, for each alert further statistical analysis was undertaken, which was considered with any other relevant information that was known (such as local intelligence from local field staff in the Commission and clinical advice where necessary). The results of this work are in the published report.
	One of CQC's first pieces of work is to review the alerts programme. As part of this review, CQC will decide whether it can release the names of the organisations that were subject to these alerts. A decision on this matter is imminent.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the deployment of Lorenzo and Cerner Millennium in each early adopter site for the National Programme for IT.

Ben Bradshaw: Lorenzo release 1.0 provides functionality for clinical documentation, and requests and results. Of the three Lorenzo release 1.0 early adopter sites, the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS trust is currently using the radiology requests and results functionality in its general surgery and urology wards, and has begun making plans for its use for inpatient, outpatient, and accident and emergency discharge summaries. South Birmingham Primary Care Trust (PCT) has a number of podiatrists using the system, working in eight different physical locations in the PCT. Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust went live for radiology results and requests in a nurse-led orthopaedic clinic at the end of March 2009.
	In London, three acute trusts, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, Queen Mary's Sidcup and Barts and The London NHS Trusts, are live with the first phase of the Cerner Millennium system. In June 2008 the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust went live with the next phase Cerner Millennium which features a link to the NHS spine. The trust uses the system to manage patient admission, transfer and discharge details and is linked to accident and emergency, theatre scheduling, maternity, therapies, as well as electronic radiology and pathology test ordering and reporting.
	In October 2008, following a review of the progress of the deployment of the Cerner Millennium system, an improvement programme was set up to concentrate on resolving the issues that were being experienced by the live trusts. At the Barts and The London NHS Trust some unresolved issues are being tackled as part of a wider comprehensive improvement programme that is addressing identified weaknesses in the trust's information management and administration systems. At the other three trusts improvement programmes have been substantially delivered.
	Due to the good progress made with the improvement programmes and greater confidence in the functionality and stability of the system, the London Acute Programme Board recommended in January 2009 that the implementation of Cerner Millennium should continue in London.
	In the south, eight health communities have to date gone live with the Cerner Millennium system. Each health community typically comprises an acute trust and the associated primary care trust sites in its area. The acute trusts are Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS trust; Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS trust; Weston Area Health NHS trust; Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation trust; Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS trust; Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS trust; Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS trust; and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS trust.
	Since the local service provider contract with Fujitsu was terminated in May 2008, new arrangements to support and develop the services in the eight live sites in the south, together with agreement to deploy the Cerner product to a further four acute organisations have been agreed with BT. Under these arrangements, the eight live sites in the south will first be transferred to a BT data centre and then upgraded to the post- improvement programme configuration of the electronic patient record software that has been developed for London Cerner trusts. The transfer to the BT data centres and the subsequent upgrade of software are expected to be completed for the live sites by the end of 2010.
	Further planned Cerner Millennium implementations at trusts in both London and the south are being informed by the lessons learnt from the improvement programmes at the live sites, and will enable more localisation and tailoring of the system, as well as close working between clinicians and solution experts as the system is being built for each trust.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate his Department's expenditure on its toolkit for the National Programme for IT; and whether capital for this expenditure will be allocated from the original budget for the programme.

Ben Bradshaw: It is not yet possible to make a meaningful estimate of all the costs involved. However, we anticipate that they will be met from within existing budgetary provision for the national programme.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many sites in the Southern cluster of the National Programme for IT are  (a) due to deploy and  (b) in the process of deploying (i) the RiO information system and (ii) Cerner Millennium under the management of BT;
	(2)  for how many  (a) trusts and  (b) sites in the Southern cluster of the National Programme for IT BT has now assumed responsibility.

Ben Bradshaw: In the southern programme for information technology, previously the southern cluster, the eight acute trusts that had previously installed Cerner Millennium under Fujitsu as local service provider are transferring to BT. In addition, four more acute trusts are planning to deploy the system, three of which are in the early stages of deployment. In all, these deployments will cover 26 sites.
	Under the same arrangement, 22 community and mental health trusts are due to deploy the RiO system at 25 sites, including one trust which has already started work on deployment.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether provision of the regional distribution centre to provide a loan equipment delivery service for complex equipment as part of the transforming community equipment programme will be subject to a competitive tender should the centre be established.

Phil Hope: Local authorities and their health partners who may consider commissioning a regional solution for complex equipment are required to comply with all relevant European Union procurement legislation.

Physiology

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to consult on proposals for the regulation of clinical physiologists.

Ben Bradshaw: We intend to develop proposals for the regulation of the health care scientist work force, including clinical physiologists, this year.